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NOTES, 

CRITICAL,  ILLUSTRATIVE,  AND  PRACTICAL, 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB: 


A  NEW  TRANSLATION, 


INTRODUCTORY  DISSERTATION. 


ALBERT  BARNES. 


VOL.  II. 


FIFTH  EDITION. 


NEW- YORK: 
LEAVITT  &  COMPANY,  191  BROADWAY. 

1819. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  tlie  yi  ur  1S44,  by 

Albert  Barnes. 

in  the  Otfire  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Ji".:is!crn 

District   of   Pennsvlvania. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

ANALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 

This  chapter  commences  the  third  series  in  the  controversy.  As  before,  Eliphaz  begins  the 
argument,  and  replies  to  Job.  He  maintains  his  former  sentiments,  and  does  it  with  great 
energy,  and  is  evidently  roused  by  the  argument  of  Job.  Job  had  attacked  their  main  position 
in  the  previous  chapter,  and  it  became  necessary  now  to  fortify  it  if  possible.  There  is,  also, 
much  severity  in  this  discourse,  and  far  more  than  usual  that  is  personal.  Job  is  openly  charged 
with  aggravated  guilt,  which,  before,  had  been  rather  implied  than  said.  But  here  is  no  con- 
cealment ;  and,  perhaps,  this  is  an  instance,  such  as  often  occurs,  where,  when  a  man  has  ths 
worst  of  the  arsument,  he  resorts  to  a  personal  attack  on  him  who  has  confuted  him.  The 
argument  of  Eliphaz  comprises  the  following  points  : — (1.)  That  it  could  not  be  anv  advantage 
to  God  that  a  man  was  righteous,  and  that  he  set  up  a  claim  to  perfection.  God  had  nothing  to 
lose  in  treating  men  as  they  deserve,  and  could  not  be  deterred  by  fear  ftom  dealing  with  them 
according  to  their  real  character,  vs.  1-4  By  these  remarks,  he  seems  to  be  repfying  to  Job, 
as  if  it  must  be  true,  that  if  God  did  not  deal  with  them  according  to  their  real  character  in  this 
life,  as  Job  had  maintained,  it  must  be  either  because  he  feared  the  wicked  man,  or  because 
there  was  some  advantage  which  he  expected  to  derive  from  the  fact  that  he  lived.  Instead  of 
meeting  the /acts,  to  which  Job  had  appealed,  he  goes  into  an  abstract  argument,  of  a  very  so- 
phistical character,  to  show  that  it  could  not  be  so — a  very  common  mode  with  controversialists. 
(2.)  Eliphaz  then  openly  attacks  Job  ;  appeals  to  him  as  an  instance  of  the  truth  of  his  position  ; 
says  that  it  was  an  indisputable  fact,  that  he  waa  a  great  sinner,  that  his  iniquities  were  infinite, 
and  that,  therefore,  he  had  been  overwhelmed  with  these  calamities,  vs.  5-11.  He  argues  from 
it,  as  a  point  which  could  not  be  called  in  question,  that  Job's  calamities  had  come  upon  him  ia 
consequence  of  a  guilty  life  ;  and  that  whatever  he  might  say  about  the  theonj  of  the  divine 
government,  his  own  case  was  one  which  would  confute  it  all.  Job  was  himself,  he  maintains, 
a  full  demonstration  that  God  would  punish  the  wicked  in  this  life.  In  these  unkind  remaiks, 
the  course  of  the  argument  is  somewhat  changed.  Before  this,  the  friends  of  Job  had  maintained 
the  abstract  position,  that  the  wicked  would  be  dealt  with  in  this  life  according  to  their  deserts, 
and  had  given  a  great  variety  of  illustrations  of  this.  But  it  had  been  left  to  be  inferred  that 
Job  had  this  character  becavse  these  calamities  had  come  upon  him.  But,  now,  the  argument 
is  changed.  It  is  maintained,  as  an  indisputable  point,  that  he  is  an  eminently  wicked  man, 
and  that  these  calamities  have  come  upon  him  in  consequence  of  his  crimes  ;  and  that,  therefore, 
his  own  case  showed  that  God  would  punish  the  wicked  in  this  life.  (3.)  In  vs.  12-14,  Eliphaz 
Bays,  that  it  was  implied  in  the  argument  of  Job  that  God  could  not  distinguish  between  the 
actions  of  men,  and  the  reasons  why  he  did  not  treat  them  as  they  deserv'ed  must  be,  that  thick 
clouds  interposed  between  them  and  God,  so  that  he  could  not  see  their  conduct,  or  that  tho 
distance  between  God  and  man  was  so  great  that  he  was  not  able  to  mark  what  man  was  doing. 
Job  had,  in  fact,  maintained  no  such  position  ;  but  Eliphaz  inferred  that  this  must  be  his  mean- 
ing, or  that  his  sentiments  must  lead  to  this.  (4.)  Eliphaz  then  (vs.  15-20)  refers  Job  to  the 
case  of  those  who  perished  in  the  flood,  and  speaks  as  if  Job  had  adopted  their  sentiments. 
They  lived  in  prosperity.  They  said  to  God,  Depart  from  us.  Their  houses  were  filled  with 
good  things.  Yet,  he  sa,vs  they  were  suddenly  destroyed,  and  that  at  so  signal  a  judgment  th& 
righteous  rejoiced — implying  that  it  was  not  improper  to  be  gratified  when  so  heavy  calamities 
had  come  upon  one  who  had  shown  hi.mself  as  wicked  as  Job  was  now  proved  to  be.  (5.)  In 
the  conclusion,  Eliphaz  urges  Job  to  become  truly  acquainted  with  God,  assuring  him  that  he 
would  then  be  at  peace,  and  then  gives  a  glowing  description  of  the  prosperity  to  which  he  might 
look,  as  a  reward,  vs.  21-30.  He  would  be  rich ;  the  Almighty  would  be  his  defence  ;  he  wonid 
find  happiness  in  God  ;  his  prayer  would  be  heard ;  light  would  shine  Dpon  his  ways  ;  and  when 
others  were  humbled,  he  would  be  exalted. 


JOB. 


'pHEN  Eliphaz  the  Temanite 
-^    answered  and  said, 

2  Can  a  man  be  profitable  ° 
unto  God,  as    '  he  that  is   wise 

a  Ps.  16.  2.         1  or,  if  fit  may  be  profitable^ 
dotit  his  good  success  depend  thereon. 

2.  Can  a  man  be  profitable  unto 
God?  Can  a  man  confer  any  favor 
on  God,  so  as  to  lay  him  under  obli- 
gation ?  Eliphaz  supposes  that  Job 
sets  up  a  claim  to  the  favor  of  God, 
because  he  was  of  service  to  him,  or 
because  God  had  something  to  fear  if 
he  was  cut  off.  He  maintains,  there- 
fore, that  a  man  can  confer  n>)  favor 
on  God,  so  as  to  lay  him  under  obli- 
gation. God  is  independent  and  su- 
preme. He  has  nothing  to  gain  if 
man  is  righteous — he  has  nothing  to 
apprehend  if  he  is  punished.  He  is 
not  dependent  at  all  on  man.  IT  £s  he 
that  is  icise.  Marg.  or,  if  he  may  be 
profitable,  doth  his  goodness  depend 
thereon.  The  meaning  of  the  passage 
is,  a  wise  man  may  promote  his  own 
advantage,  but  he  cannot  be  of  ad- 
vantage to  God.  All  the  result  of  his 
wisdom  must  terminate  on  himself, 
and  not  on  God.  Comp.  Ps.  xvi.  2. 
Of  the  correctness  of  this  sentiment 
there  can  be  no  doubt.  It  accords 
with  reason,  and  with  all  that  is  said 
in  the  Scriptures.  God  is  too  great 
to  be  benefited  by  man.  He  is  in- 
finite in  all  his  perfections;  he  is  the 
original  fountain  of  blessedness  ;  he 
is  supremely  wise;  he  has  all  re- 
sources in  himself,  and  he  cannot  be 
dependent  on  his  creatures.  He  can- 
not, therefore,  be  deterred  from  pun- 
ishing them  by  any  dread  whicli  he 
has  of  losing  their  favor — he  cannot 
be  induced  to  bless  them  because 
they  have  laid  him  under  obligation. 
Eliphaz  meant  this  as  a  reply  to 
what  Job  had  said.  He  had  main- 
tained, that  God  did  not  treat  men 
according  to  their  character  in  this 
life,  but  that,  in  fict,  the  wicked  were 
often  prospered,  and  sufl!ered  to  live 
long.  Eliphaz  at  once  infers,  that  if 
this  were  so,  it  must  be  because  the\' 
could  render  themselves  serviceable 
to  God,    or   because   he    must   have 


may  be  profitable  unto  himself? 
3  Is  it  any  pleasure  to  the 
Almighty  that  thou  art  right- 
eous 1  or  is  it  gain  to  him  that 
thou  makest  thy  ways  perfect  'I 

something  to  dread  by  punishing 
them.  In  the  general  sentiment,  he 
was  right ;  in  the  inference  he  was 
wrong — since  Job  had  not  affirmed 
that  they  are  spared  from  any  such 
cause,  and  since  many  other  reasons 
may  be  assigned. 

3.  Is  it  any  pleasure  to  the  .Almighty 
that  thon  art  righteous?  This  is  tlio 
same  sentiment  which  was  advanced 
in  the  previous  verse.  The  meaning 
is,  that  it  can  be  no  advantage  to 
God  that  a  man  is  righteous.  He  is 
not  dependent  on  man  for  happiness, 
and  cannot  be  deterred  from  dealing 
justly  with  him  because  he  is  in 
danger  of  losing  any  thing.  In  this 
sense,  it  is  true.  God  has  pleasure 
in  holiness  wherever  it  is,  and  is 
pleased  when  men  are  righteous;  but 
it  is  not  true  that  he  is  dependent  on 
the  character  of  his  creatures  for  his 
own  happiness,  or  that  men  can  lay 
him  under  obligation  by  their  own 
righteousness.  Eliphaz  applies  this 
general  truth  to  Job,  probably,  be- 
cause he  understood  iiim  as  com- 
plaining of  the  dealings  of  God  with 
liim,  as  if  he  had  laid  God  under  ob- 
ligation by  his  upright  life.  He  sup- 
poses that  it  was  implied  in  the  re- 
marks of  Job, that  he  had  been  so 
upright,  and  bad  been  of  so  much 
consequence,  that  God  ought  to  have 
continued  him  in  a  state  of  prosperity 
This  supposition,  if  Job  ever  had  it, 
Eliphaz  correctly  meets,  and  shows 
him  that  he  was  not  so  profitable  to 
God  that  he  could  not  do  without 
him.  Yet,  do  men  not  often  feel  thus.' 
Do  ministers  of  the  gospel  not  some- 
times feel  thus.'  Do  we  not  some- 
times feel  thus  in  relation  to  some 
man  eminent  for  piety,  wisdom,  or 
learning.'  Do  we  not  feel  as  if  God 
could  not  do  without  him,  and  that 
there  was  a  sort  of  necessity  that  he 
should   keep  him  alive  .'     Yet,  how 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


5 


4  Will  he  reprove  thee  for  fear 
of  thee  ?   will  he  enter  with  thee 


often  are  such  men  cut  down,  in  the 
very  midst  of  tlieir  usefulness,  to  show 
(1)  that  God  is  not  dependent  on 
them  ;  and  (2)  to  keep  them  from 
pride,  as  if  they  were  necessary  to 
tlie  execution  of  the  divine  plans ; 
and  (3)  to  teach  iiis  people  their  de- 
pendence on  Hitn,  and  not  on  frail, 
erring  mortals.  When  the  church 
places  its  reliance  on  a  human  arm, 
God  very  often  suddenly  knocks  tlie 
prop  away. 

4.  U'Hl  he  reprove  thee  for  fear  of 
thee?  Or,  rather,  will  he  come  into 
trial,  and  argue  his  cause  before  a 
tribunal,  because  he  is  afraid  that  his 
character  will  suffer,  or  because  he 
feels  himself  bound  to  appear,  and 
answer  to  the  charges  which  niay  be 
brought.'  The  language  is  all  taken 
from  courts  of  justice,  and  the  object 
is,  to  reprove  Job  as  if  he  felt  that  it 
was  necessary  that  God  should  ap- 
pear and  answer  to  what  he  alleged 
against  him.  IT  Will  he  enter  xcith  thee 
into  j^idirment?  Will  he  condescend 
to  enter  on  a  trial  with  one  like  thee  .' 
Will  he  submit  his  cause  to  a  trial 
with  man,  as  if  he  were  an  equal,  or 
as  if  man  had  any  right  to  such  an  in- 
vestigation ?  It  is  to  be  remembered, 
that  Job  had  repeatedly  expressed  a 
desire  to  carry  his  cause  before  God, 
and  that  God  would  meet  him  as  an 
equal,  and  not  take  advantage  of  his 
rnajest}'  and  power  to  overwhelm 
him.  See  Notes  on  ch.  xiii.  3,  20,  21. 
Eliphaz  here  asks,  whether  God 
could  be  expected  to  meet  a  man^  one 
of  his  own  creatures,  in  this  manner, 
and  to  go  into  a  trial  of  the  cause. 
He  says  that  God  was  supreme  ;  that 
no  one  could  bring  him  into  court; 
and  that  he  could  not  be  restrained 
from  doing  his  pleasure  by  any  dread 
of  man.  These  sentiments  are  all 
noble  and  correct,  and  worthy  of  a 
sage.  Soon,  however,  he  changes 
the  style,  and  utters  the  language  of 
severe  reproach,  bccau.se  Job  had  pre- 
Eumed  to  make  such  a  suggestion. 
Perhaps,  also,  in  this  verse,  a  special 


into  judgment  ? 

5  Is  not  thy  wickedness  great? 

emphasis  should  be  placed  on  "  thee.'' 
'  Will  God  enter  into  trial  with  thee — 
a  man  whose  wickedness  is  so  great, 
and  whose  sin  is  infinite  .''  vs.  5,  9. 

5.  Is  not  thy  wickedness  great? 
That  is,  '  Is  it  not  utter  presumption 
and  folly  for  a  man,  whose-wicked- 
ness  is  undoubtedly  so  great,  to  pre- 
sume to  entier  into  a  litigation  with 
God  V  Eliphaz  here  assumes  it  as  an 
undeniable  proposition,  that  Job  was 
a  great  sinner.  This  charge  had  not 
been  directly  made  before.  He  and 
his  friends  had  argued  evidently  on 
that  supposition,  and  had  maintained 
that  one  who  was  a  great  sinner 
would  be  punished  in  this  life  for  it, 
and  they  had  left  it  to  be  implied,  in 
no  doubtful  manner,  that  they  so  re- 
garded Job.  But  the  charge  had  not 
been  before  so  openly  made.  Here 
Eliphaz  argues  as  if  that  were  a 
point  that  could  not  be  disputed.  The 
only  /j/-oo/ that  he  had,  so  far  as  ap- 
pears, was,  that  Job  had  been  afflict- 
ed as  they  maintained  great  sinners 
toould  be,  and  they,  therefore,  con- 
cluded that  he  must  be  such.  No 
facts  are  referred  to,  except  that  he 
was  a  great  sufferer,  and  yet,  on  the 
ground  of  this,  he  proceeds  to  take 
for  granted  that  he  must  have  been  a 
man  who  had  taken  a  pledge  for  no 
cause  ;  had  refused  to  give  water  to 
the  thirsty  ;  had  been  an  oppressor, 
&c.  IT  And  thine  iniquities  infinite  ? 
Heb.  "  And  there  is  no  end  to  thine 
iniquities" — that  is,  they  are  without 
number.  This  does  not  mean  that 
sin  is  an  infinite  ceil,  or  that  his  sins 
were  infinite  in  degree  ;  but  that  if 
one  should  attempt  to  reckon  up  the 
number  of  his  transgressions,  there 
would  be  no  end  to  them.  This,  I 
believe,  is  the  only  place  in  the  Bible 
where  sin  is  spoken  of,  in  any  re- 
spect, as  "  infinite  ;''  and  this  cannot 
be  used  as  a  proof  text,  to  show  that 
sin  is  an  infinite  evil,  for  (1)  that  is 
not  the  meaning  of  the  passage  even 
with  respect  to  Job  ;  (2)  it  makes  no 
affirmation  respecting  sin  in  general  ; 


JOB. 


and  thine  iniquities  infinite  ? 

6  For  thou  hast  taken  a  pledge 
from  thy  brother  for  nought,  and 
stripped  the  naked  '  of  their 
clothing. 

7  Thou  hast  not  given  water 

1  clotlits  of  the  naked.  2  man  of  arm. 

and  (3)  it  was  untrue,  even  in  regard 
to  Job,  and  in  the  sense  in  which 
Zophar  meant  to  use  the  phrase. 
There  is  no  intelligible  sense  in 
which  it  can  be  said  that  sin  is  an  infi- 
nite evil;  and  no  argument  should  be 
based  on  such  a  declaration,  to  prove 
that  sin  demanded  an  infinite  atone- 
ment, or  that  it  deserves  eternal  suf- 
ferings. Those  doctrines  can  be  de- 
fended on  solid  grounds — they  should 
not  be  made  to  rest  on  a  false  as- 
sumption, or  on  a  false  interpretation 
of  the  Scriptures. 

6.  For  thou  hast  taken  a  pledge 
from  thy  brother  for  nought.  The 
only  evidence  which  Eliphaz  seems  to 
have  had  of  this  was,  that  this  was  a 
heinous  sin,  and  that  as  Job  seemed 
to  be  severely  punished,  it  was  to  be 
inferred  that  he  must  have  committed 
some  such  sin  as  this.  No  way  of 
treating  an  unfortunate  and  a  suffer- 
ing man  could  be  more  unkind.  A 
pledge  is  that  which  is  given  by  a 
debtor  to  a  creditor,  for  security  for 
the  payment  of  a  debt,  and  would  be, 
of  course,  that  which  was  regarded 
as  of  value.  Garments,  which  con- 
stituted a  considerable  part  of  the 
wealth  of  the  Orientals,  would  usual- 
ly be  the  pledge  which  would  be 
given.  With  us,  in  such  cases, 
watches,  jewelry,  notes,  mortgages, 
are  given  as  collateral  security,  or  as 
pledges.  The  law  of  Moses  required, 
that  when  a  man  took  the  garment  of 
his  neighbor  for  a  pledge,  it  should 
))e  restored  by  the  time  the  sun  went 
down,  Ex.  xxii.  26,  27.  The  crime 
here  charged  on  Job  was,  that  he  had 
exacted  a  pledge  from  another  where 
there  was  no  just  claim  to  it ;  that  is, 
where  no  debt  had  been  contracted, 
where  a  debt  had  been  paid,  or  where 
the  security  was  far  beyond  the  va- 


to  the  weary  to  drink,  and  thou 
hast  withholden  bread  from  the 
hungry. 

8  But    as   for    ^the    mighty 
man,  he  had  the  earth  ;   and  the 
honourable  man  dwelt  in  it. 

3  eminent,  or,  accepted  for  countenance. 


lue  of  the  debt.  The  injustice  of 
such  a  course  would  be  obvious.  It 
would  deprive  the  man  of  the  use  of 
the  property  which  was  pledged,  and 
it  gave  him  to  whom  it  was  pledged 
an  opportunity  of  doing  wrong,  as  he 
might  retain  it,  or  dispose  of  it,  and 
the  real  owner  see  it  no  more.  11  And 
stripped  the  naked  of  their  clothing. 
Marg.  clothes  of  the  naked.  That  is, 
of  those  who  were  poorly  clad,  or 
who  were  nearly  destitute  of  clothes 
The  vi'ord  naked  is  often  used  in  this 
sense  in  the  Scriptures.  See  Notes, 
John  xxi.  7.  The  meaning  here  is, 
that  Job  had  taken  away  by  oppres- 
sion even  the  garments  of  the  poor, 
in  order  to  enrich  himself. 

7.  Thou  hast  not  given  water  to  the 
iceary.  That  is,  thou  hast  withheld 
the  rites  of  hospitality — one  of  the 
most  grievous  offences  which  could 
be  charged  on  an  Arabian.  Comp. 
Notes  on  Isa.  xxi.  14.  In  all  the 
Oriental  world,  hospitality  was  re 
garded,  and  is  still,  as  a  duty  of  the 
highest  obligation. 

8.  But  as  ('or  thcmighty  man.  Ileb. 
as  in  the  margin,  man  of  arm.  The 
arm,  in  the  Scriptures,  is  the  symbol 
of  power.  Ps.  x.  15,  "  Break  tliou 
the  arm  of  the  wicked."  Ezek.  xxx. 
21,  "  I  have  broken  the  arm  of  Pha- 
raoh." Ps.  Ixxxix.  13,  "Thou  hast 
a  mighty  arm."  Ps.  xcvii.  1,  "  His 
holy  arm  hath  gotten  him  the  vic- 
tory." The  reason  of  this  is,  that 
the  sword  and  spear  were  princi])ally 
used  in  war,  and  success  depended 
on  the  force  with  which  they  were 
wielded  by  the  arm.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  that  this  is  intended  to  be 
applied  to  Job,  and  that  the  meaning 
is,  that  he  had  driven  the  poor  from 
their  possessions,  and  he  had  taken 
forcible  occupancy  of  wliat  belonged 


CHAPTER  XXIT. 


9  Thou  hast  sent  widows  away 
empty,  and  the  arms  of  the  father- 
less have  been  broken. 

10  Therefore  snares  "  are 
round  about  thee,  and  sudden 
fear  t:oubleth  thee  ; 

ac.  18.S-10.   Ps   11  6. 


to  them.  Tiie  idea  is,  that  lie  had 
donu  this  by  poicci\  not  hy  right. 
If  Hiid  t/ic  atrtk.  Took  possession  of 
tlie  huid,  and  drove  off  from  it  those 
to  wlioni  it  belonged,  or  who  had  an 
equal  right  to  it  with  him.  1[  .ind  the 
honorable  man  Marg.  eminent.,  or  ac- 
cepted of  countenance.  Heb.  "  Lifted 
up  of  countenance  ;"  that  is,  the  man 
whose  countenance  was  elevated 
either  by  honor  or  pride.  It  may  be 
used  to  describe  either  ;  but,  perhaps, 
there  is  more  force  in  the  former,  in 
saying  that  it  was  the  great  man,  the 
man  of  rank  and  otRce,  who  had  got 
possession.  There  is,  thus,  some 
sarcasm  in  the  severe  ciiarge  :  '  Tlie 
great  man — tltc  man  of  rank,  and 
wealth,  and  office,  has  got  possession, 
while  the  humble  and  poor  are  ban- 
ished.' Job  had  had  great  posses- 
sions ;  but  this  charge  as  to  the  man- 
ner in  which  lie  had  acquired  them 
seems  to  be  wholly  gratuitous.  Eli- 
pliaz  takes  it  for  granted, since  he  was 
so  severely  punisiied,  that  it  viust 
have  been  in  some  such  way. 

9.  Thou  hast  sent  widoics  aioay 
I  empty.  That  is,  without  regarding 
their  wants,  and  without  doing  any 
thing  to  mitigate  their  sorrows.  The 
oppression  of  the  widow  and  the  fa- 
therless is,  in  the  Scriptures,  every 
where  regarded  as  a  crime  of  peculiar 
magnitude.  See  Notes  on  Isa.  i.  17. 
IT  The  arms  of  the  fatherless  have  been 
bro.ken.  Thou  hast  taken  away  all 
that  they  relied  on.  Thou  hast  op- 
pressed them  and  taken  advantage 
of  their  weak  and  defenceless  condi- 
tion to  enrich  yourself  This  charge 
was,  evidently,  gratuitous  and  unjust. 
It  was  the  result  of  an  inference  from 
the  fact  that  he  was  thus  afflicted,  and 
about  as  just  as  inferences,  in  such 
cases,  usually  are      To  all  thi.:.  Job 


11  Or  darkness,  that  thou 
canst  not  see  ;  and  abundance 
of  waters  cover  thee, 

12  Is  not  God  in  the  height  of 
heaven  ?  and  behold  the  '  height 
of  the  stars,  how  high  they  are  ! 

1  head. 

replies  in  beautiful  language  in  ch. 
x.KJx.  11,  16,  when  describing  his 
former  condition,  and  in  justice  to 
him,  we  may  allow  him  to  speak  here, 
and  to  show  what  was,  in  fact,  the 
course  of  his  life. 

When  tlie  ear  heard  me,  then  it  blessed  itie  ; 
And  when  the  eye  saw  me,  it  gave  witness  to 

me  : 
Because  I  delivered  the  poor  that  cried, 
And  the  fatherless,  and  him  that  had  none  to 

help  him 
The  blessing  of  him  that  was  ready  to  perish 

came  upon  me, 
And  I  caused  the  widow's  heart  to  leap  for  joy. 
I  put  on  righteousness,  and  it  clothed  me  ; 
My  judgment  was  as  a  robe  and  a  diadom. 
I  was  eyes  to  the  blind, 
And  feet  was  I  to  the  lame  ; 
I  was  a  father  to  the  poor, 
And  tlie  cause  which  I  knew  not,  I  searched 

out. 

10.  TJiercfore  snares  are  round 
about  thee.  Snares  were  used  for 
catching  wild  animals  and  birds,  and 
the  word  then  came  to  denote  any 
sudden  calamity.  Seech.xvii.  8-1(3. 
Eliphaz  here  says,  that  hniust  be  that 
these  calamities  came  upon  Job  in 
consequence  of  such  sins  as  he  had 
specified.  About  that  he  took  it  for 
granted  there  could  be  no  dispute. 
ir  .^nd  sudden  fear.  The  calamities 
of  Job  came  upon  him  suddenly,  ch. 
i.  It  was  to  this,  doubtless,  that 
Eliphaz  alluded. 

11.  Or  darkness.  Darkness  and 
night  in  the  Scriptures  are  emblems 
of  calamity.  IT  That  thou  canst  not 
see.  Deep  and  fearful  darkness  ;  total 
night,  so  that  nothing  is  visible.  Tli;it 
is,  the  heaviest  calamities  had  over- 
whelmed him.  IT  ^^nd  abundance  of 
icatcrs.  An  emblem,  also,  of  cal.i- 
mities.  Ch.  xxvii.  20.  Ps.  Jxix.  1,2, 
Ixxiii.  10. 

12.  Is  not  God.  in  the  height  of 
heaven  ?  In  the  highest  heaven.  Tii.it 
is.  Is  not  God  exalted  over  all  worlds  ' 


JOB. 


13  And  thou  sayest,  "  How  " 

I  or,  what.         a  Ps.  10.  U.  73.  U. 

This  seems  to  be  intended  to  refer  to 
the  sentiments  of  Job,  as  if  he  had 
maintained  that  God  was  so  exalted 
that  he  could  not  notice  what  was  oc- 
curring on  earth.  It  should,  tlicre- 
fore,  be  read  in  connection  with  the 
following  verse  :  "  God  is  so  exalted, 
that  tliou  sayest,  How  can  he  know  ? 
Can  he  look  down  through  the  thick 
clouds  which  intervene  between  him 
and  man  .''"  Job  had  maintained  no 
such  opinion,  but  the  process  of 
thought  in  the  mind  of  Eliphaz  seems 
to  have  been  this.  Job  had  main- 
tained that  God  did  7iot  punish  the 
wicked  in  this  life  as  they  deserved, 
but  that  they  lived  and  prospered. 
Eliphaz  inferred  that  he  could  hold 
that  opinion  only  because  ho  sup- 
posed that  God  was  so  exalted  that 
he  could  not  attend  to  worldly  affairs. 
He  knew  no  other  way  in  which  the 
opinion  could  be  held,  and  he  pro- 
ceeds to  argue  as  if  it  were  so.  Job 
had  in  the  previous  chapter  appealed 
to  plain  facts,  and  had  rested  his 
wliole  argument  on  them.  Eliphaz, 
instead  of  meeting  -the  facts  in  the 
case,  or  showing  that  they  did  not 
exist  as  Job  said  they  did,  considered 
his  discourse  as  a  denial  of  Divine 
Providence,  and  as  re])resenting  God 
to  be  so  far  above  the  earth  that  he 
could  not  notice  what  was  occurring 
here.  How  common  is  this  in  theo- 
logical controversy  !  One  man,  in 
defending  his  opinions,  or  in  search- 
ing for  the  truth,  appeals  to  facts, 
and  endeavors  to_ascertain  their  na- 
ture and  bearing.  His  adversary,  in- 
stead of  meeting  them,  or  showing 
that  they  are  not  so,  at  once  appeals 
to  some  admitted  doctrine,  to  some 
established  article  of  a  creed,  or  to 
some  tradition  of  the  fathers,  and 
Bays  that  the  appeal  to  fact  is  but  a 
denial  of  an  important  doctrine  of 
revelation.  It  is  easier  to  charge  a 
man  with  denying  tiie  doctrine  of 
Providence,  or  to  call  him  by  a  harsh 
name,  than  it  is  to  meet  an  argument 
drawn  from   fact  and  from   the  plain 


doth  God  know  ?  can  he  jndge 
tlirough  the  dark  cloud  ? 

meaning  of  the  Bible.  11  And  behold 
the  height  of  the  stars.  Marg.  as  in 
Heb.  head —  'iiX"i .  God  is  more  ex- 
alted than  the  highest  of  the  stars. 
The  stars  are  the  highest  objects  in 
view,  and  the  sense,  therefore,  is, 
that  God  is  infinitely  exalted. 

13.  Jind  thou  sayest,  Hoio  doth  God 
know  ?  That  is,  it  follows  from 
what  you  have  said  ;  or  the  opinion 
which  you  have  advanced  is  i/te  srt;«fi 
as  if  you  had  affirmed  this.  How 
common  it  is  to  charge  a  man  with 
holding  what  we  infer,  from  some- 
thin'g^  which  he  has  advanced,  he 
must  hold,  and  then  to  proceed  to 
argue  as  if  he  actually  held  that. 
The  philosophy  of  this  is  plain.  He 
advances  a  certain  opinion.  We  infer 
at  once  tliat  he  can  hold  that  only  on 
certain  grounds,  or  that  if  he  holds 
that  he  must  hold  something  else 
also.  We  can  see  that  if  loe  held 
that  opinion,  we  should  also,  for  tlie 
sake  of  consistency,  be  compelled  to 
hold  something  which  seems  to  fol- 
low from  it,  and  we  cannot  see  how 
this  can  be  avoided,  and  we  at  once 
charge  him  with  holding  it.  But  the 
truth  may  be,  that  he  has  not  seen 
that  such  consequences  follow,  or 
tiiat  he  has  some  other  way  of  ac- 
counting for  the  fact  than  we  have  , 
or  that  he  may  hold  to  the  fact  and 
yet  deny  wholly  the  consequences 
which  legitimately  follow  from  it. 
Now  we  have  a  right  to  show  him  by 
argument  that  his  opinions,  if  ho 
would  follow  them  out,  would  lead 
to  dangerous  consequences,  l)ut  we 
have  a  right  to  charge  Iiim  with  hold 
ing  only  wiiat  he  professes  to  hold 
He  is  not  answerable  for  our  infer 
ences ;  and  we  have  no  right  to 
charge  them  on  him  as  being  his  real 
opinions.  Every  man  has  a  right  to 
avow  what  he  actually  believes,  and 
to  be  regarded  as  holding  that,  and 
that  only.  IT  Hotc  doth  God  know  ? 
That  is,  How  can  one  so  exalted  see 
what  is  done  on  the  distant  earth,  and 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


14  Thick  clouds  are  a  cover- 
ing to  him,  that  he  seeth  not; 
and  he  walketh  in  the  circuit  of 
heaven, 

]  or,  afloodiras  pouredupon  their  foundation, 
Qe.  7.  10,  &c,  2  Pe.  2.  5. 

reward  and  punisli  men  according 
to  their  deserts  ?  This  opinion  was 
actually  lield  by  many  of  the  an- 
cients. It  was  supposed  that  the 
supreme  God  did  not  condescend  to 
attend  to  tlie  affairs  of  mortals,  but 
had  committed  the  government  of  the 
earth  to  inferior  beings.  This  was 
the  foundation  of  the  Gnostic  pliiloso- 
phy,  which  prevailed  so  much  in  the 
East  in  tlie  early  ages  of  the  Ciiristian 
church.  Milton  puts  a  similar  senti- 
ment into  tlie  mouth  of  Eve  in  her 
reflections  after  she  had  eaten  the 
forbidden  fruit : 

And  I,  perhaps,  am  secret :  heaven  is  high, 
High  and  remote  from  thence  to  see  distinct 
Each  thing  on  enrth  ;  and  otlier  care  perhaps 
May  have  diverted  from  continual  watch 
Our  great  Forbidder,  safe  with  all  his  spies 
about  him  Par.  Lost,  B.  ix. 

TI  Can  he  judge  through  the  dark 
cloud?  Can  he  look  down  through 
the  clouds  which  interpose  between 
man  and  him.  Eliphaz  could  not 
see  how  Job  could  maintain  his 
opinions  witiiout  holding  that  tliis 
was  impossible  for  God.  He  could 
sec  no  other  reason  why  God  did  not 
punish  the  wicked  than  because  he 
did  not  see  them,  and  he,  therefore, 
charges  this  opinion  on  Job. 

14.  Thick  clouds  are  a  covering  to 
him.  This  is  to  be  understood  as 
expressing  what  Eliphaz  regarded  as 
the  sentiment  of  Job — that  so  thick 
clouds  intervened  between  him  and 
!nan  that  he  could  not  take  cogni- 
zance of  what  was  going  forward  on 
earth.  H  .^nd  he  icalketh  in  the  cir- 
cuit of  heaven  Upon  the  arch  of 
heaven,  as  it  seems  to  be  bent  over 
our  heads.  He  walks  above  that 
cerulean,  so  high,  that  he  cannot  see 
what  occurs  on  earth,  and  to  punish 
mortals.  This  was  not  an  uncom- 
mon sentiment  among  the  ancients. 


15  Plast  thou  marked  the  old 
way  which  wicked  men  have 
trodden  ? 

16  Which  were  cut  down  out 
of  time,  whose  '  foundation  was 
overflown  with  a  flood  ; 

though  it  is  here,  with  the  greatest  in- 
justice, attributed  to  Job,  A  similar 
sentiment  is  expressed  by  Lucretius, 
as  quoted  by  RosenmUUer  and  Noyes  : 

Omnis  enim  per  se  Divum  natura  necesse  est 
Immortali  sevo  summa  cum  pace  fruatur, 
Semota  a  nostris  rebus,  sejunctaque  InngS.  ■ 
Nam  privata  dolore  omni,  privata  periclis, 
Ipsa  suis  pollens  opibus,  nihil  indiga  nostri, 
Nee  bene  promeritus  capitur,  nee  tangitur  ira. 

Comp,  Isa.  xxix.  15. 

15.  Hast  thou  marked  the  old  way 
which  loicked  men  have  trodden  ?  Hast 
thou  seen  what  has  happened  in  for- 
mer times  to  wicked  men  .'  Job  had 
maintained  that  God  did  not  deal 
with  men  in  this  world  according  to 
their  character.  To  meet  this,  Eli- 
phaz now  appeals  to  ancient  facts, 
and  especially  refers  to  the  deluge, 
when  the  wicked  were  cut  ofl^  by  a 
flood  for  their  sins.  Schultens,  Dr. 
Good,  Noyes,  and  Rieske,  however, 
suppose  that  the  word  here  rendered 
'  mark,'  means  to  pursue,  or  imitate, 
and  that  the  sense  is,  '  Are  you  will- 
ing to  adopt  the  principles  of  those 
wicked  men  who  lived  in  the  time  of 
the  deluge .'''  But  the  sense  is  not 
materially  affected.  The  general  de- 
sign is  to  refer  Job  to  the  case  of  the 
impious  generation  that  was  swept  off 
by  a  flood.  The  judgments  of  God 
on  them  were  a  full  refutation,  in  his 
view,  of  the  sentiments  of  Job. 

16,  Which  were  cut  down.  Who 
were  suddenly  destroyed  by  a  flood. 
On  the  word  here  used  (^'?|5)  see 
Notes  on  ch.  xvi  8.  It  occurs  only 
in  that  place  and  this.  Its  primary 
notion  is  that  of  drawing  together  or 
contracting — as  the  feet  of  a  lamb 
or  calf  are  drawn  together  and  tied 
preparatory  to  being  killed  ;  and  the 
meaning  here  is,  probably,  '  who 
were  huddled  together  by  the  waters,' 
or  who  were  driven  in  heaps  by  the 


10 


JOB. 


17  Which  "  said  unto  God, 
Depart  from  us  :  and  what  can 
the  Almighty  do  '  for  them  ? 

a  c.  21.  10.        1  or,  to.        b  Ac.  14.  16, 15. 

deluge,  so  rapidly  and  suddenly  did  it 
con  e  upon  them.'  IT  Out  of  time. 
lleb.  "  And  there  was  no  time  ;" 
that  is,  it  was  done  in  a  moment,  or 
suddenly.  No  time  was  given  them  ; 
no  delay  was  granted.  The  floods 
ruslied  over  them,  and  nothing  could 
stay  them.  IT  Wliosc  foundation  was 
overfluion.  Marg.  or,  a  flood  was 
poured  upon  their  foiindation.  Tliat 
is,  all  on  which  they  relied  was  swept 
away.  The  word  foundation  refers 
to  that  on  which  their  happiness  and 
security  rested,  as  a  house  rests  on  its 
foundation,  and  when  that  is  swept 
away  the  house  falls.  IT  With  a  flood. 
Heb.  ('^•7J)  river.  The  word  is  com- 
monly applied  to  a  river;  and  in  the 
Scriptures,  by  way  of  eminence,  to 
the  Euphrates.  See  Notes  on  Isa. 
vii.  20,  viii.  7.  It  may  be  used,  how- 
ever, to  denote  a  river  which  is 
swollen,  and  then  a  fiood — and  it  is 
several  times  rendered  flood  in  the 
Scriptures.  Job  xiv.  11.  Jonah  ii.  3 
(where  it  means  the  sea).  Josh.  xxiv. 
2,  3, 14,  1.5.  Ps.  Ixvi.  6.  Job  xxviii.  11. 
Ps.  xxiv.  2,  xciii.  3.  Cant.  viii.  7. 
Prof  Lee  supposes  that  the  allusion 
here  is  to  some  overflowing  of  the 
Eupiirates,  but  the  reference  seems 
to  be  decidedly  to  the  deluge  in  the 
time  of  Noah.  The  language  is  such 
as  would  be  used  in  referring  to  that, 
and  the  fad  \s  just  such  an  one  as 
would  be  pertinent  to  the  argument 
of  Eliphaz.  The  fact  was  undoubt- 
edly well  known  to  all,  so  that  a  bare 
allusion  to  it  would  be  enough. 

17.  Which  said  unto  God,  Depart 
from  us.  Notes  ch.  xxi.  14.  Avery 
correct  description  of  the  old  world. 
They  had  no  wish  to  retain  God  in 
their  knowledge.  Probably  Eliphaz 
here  refers  to  what  Job  had  said,  ch. 
xxi.  14,  15.  He  had  remarked,  in 
describing  the  wicked,  that  they  said 
unto  God,  "  Depart  from  us,"  and 
yet   they  lived  prosperously.     "But 


18  Yet  *  he  filled  their  hous- 
es  with  good  things ;  but  the 
counsel  of  the  wicked  is  far  from 
me. 


see,"  says  Eliphaz,  "  a  case  where 
they  did  this.  It  was  done  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  world  before  the 
deluge,  and  their  houses  were  filled, 
as  you  say  the  houses  of  the  wicked 
are,  with  good  things,  but  God  swept 
them  all  suddenly  away."  II  Jlnd 
what  can  the  Jilmighty  do  for  them? 
Marg.  or,  to.  That  is,  they  demanded 
what  the  Almighty  could  do  for 
them.  They  did  not  feel  their  de- 
pendence on  him  ;  they  did  not  admit 
that  they  needed  his  aid  ;  they  cast 
off  all  reliance  on  him.  Tiiis  whole 
passage  is  a  most  sarcastic  retort  on 
what  Job  had  said  in  ch.  xxi.  14,  1.5. 
He  had  atHrmed  that  though  wicked 
men  used  this  language,  yet  that  they 
prospered.  Eliphaz  takes  the  same 
language  and  applies  it  to  the  sinners 
before  the  deluge,  and  says  that  they 
expressed  themselves  just  in  this 
manner.  The  language  which  Job 
puts  into  the  mouths  of  the  wicked, 
had  indeed,  says  Eliphaz,  been  used. 
But  by  whom  ?  By  those  who  lived 
in  security  and  prosperity.  "  By  the 
men  before  the  deluge,"  says  he, 
"  the  race  that  was  so  wicked  that  it 
was  necessary  to  cut  them  oft'  b_y  the 
flood.  These  are  the  men  to  whose 
sentiments  Job  a[)peals ;  these  the 
men  with  whom  he  has  sympathy  !" 
IS.  Yet  he  filled  their  hou.'tcs  with 
good  things.  Tliis  is  undoubtedly  a 
biting  sarcasm.  Job  iiad  maintained 
that  such  men  were  prosperous. 
'  Yes,'  says  Eliphaz,  '  their  houses 
icere  well  filled  !  They  were  sig- 
nally blessed  and  prospered  !'  U  But 
the  counsel  of  the  icickcd  is  far  from, 
nic.  Tliis  is  the  very  language  of 
Job,  ch.  xxi.  16.  It  is  here  used  sar- 
castically. '  Far  from  me,'  you  sa.-, 
'  be  the  counsel  of  the  wicked.  ■  t 
j-ou  defend  them,  and  attemp'  !<>  show 
that  they  are  the  favorites  of  heaven  ! 
You  attempt  to  prove  that  God  must 
and  will   bless  them  !     Far  from  mk, 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


11 


say  /,  be  the  counsel  of  the  wicked  ! 
With  tliern  /  have  no  part,  no  lot.  I 
will  not  defend  thcni — I  will  not  be 
their  advocate  !'  The  object  is,  to 
show  that,  notwithstanding  all  that 
Job  had  said,  he  was  secretly  the  ad- 
vocate of  the  wicked,  and  stood  up 
as  their  friend. 

]9.  The  righteous  see  it,  and  are 
glad.  See  the  destruction  of  the 
wicked.  Comp.  Rev.  xv.  3,  xvi.  7, 
xix.  1,  2.  This  is  designed  by  Eli- 
phaz,  probably,  not  only  to  state  a 
fact  about  the  righteous  of  other  times 
who  saw  the  wicked  punished,  but, 
also,  to  vindicate  his  own  conduct 
and  tJiat  of  his  two  friends  in  regard 
to  Job.  If  the  righteous  of  otlier 
times  had  rejoiced  when  the  wicked 
were  punished,  they  inferred  that  it 
was  not  improper  for  them  to  mani- 
fest similar  rejoicings  when  God  had 
overtaken  one  who  was  so  signally 
depraved  as  they  supposed  Job  to  be. 
Their  want  of  sympathy  for  him, 
therefore,  they  would  defend  by  a 
reference  to  the  conduct  of  the  men 
of  other  times.  There  is  a  sense  in 
which  good  men  rejoice  when  the 
wicked  are  detected  and  punished. 
It  is  not  (1)  that  they  rejoice  that  tiie 
sin  was  oommitted  ;  nor  (2)  that  they 
rejoice  in  misery  ;  nor  (3)  that  they 
would  not  rejoice  more  if  the  wicked 
had  been  righteous,  and  had  escaped 
suffering  altogether.  But  it  is  the 
kind  of  joy  which  we  have  when  a 
murderer,  a  robber,  or  a  pirate  is 
seized— when  a  counterfeiter  is  detect- 
ed— when  a  man  who  prowls  around 
the  dwelling  at  night  to  murder  its 
inmates  is  brought  to  punishment. 
It  is  jov,  not  that  the  sin  was  com- 
mitted, but  that  the  laws  are  execut- 
ed ;  and  who  siiould  not  rejoice  in 
that.'  We  have  joy  in  the  character 
of  an  upright  judge  when  he  impar- 
tially and  faithfully  administers  the 
laws;  and  why  should  we  not  rejoice 
in  God  when  he  does  the  same  .'     We 


19  The  righteous  see  it,  and  j  20  Whereas  '  our  substance  is 
are  glad  :  and  the  innocent  laugh  not  cut  down,  but  the  remnant 
them  to  scorn.  of  them  the  fire  consumeth. 

1  or,  estate  2  or,  their  exccUrncy. 

rejoice  in  the  manifestation  of  truth 
and  justice  among  men — why  siiould 
we  not  in  the  exhibition  of  tlie  same 
things  in  God  ?  We  rejoice  in  a  po- 
lice that  can  ferret  out  every  form  of 
iniquity,  and  bring  offenders  to  jus 
tice  ;  and  wiiy  should  we  not  rejoice  in 
that  government  which  is  infinitely 
more  perfect  than  any  police  ever 
was  among  men  .''  TI  Jind  the  innocent 
laugh  them  to  scorn.  This  is  another 
way  of  saying  that  they  exult  or  re- 
joice. Comp.  Prov.  i.  26,  27.  No 
consideration  can  justify  me-n  in  de- 
riding and  mocking  those  who  are 
subjected  to  punishment;  and  it  is  by 
no  means  certain  that  the  speaker 
meant  to  refer  to  such  derision. 

20.  Whereas  our  substance  is  not 
cut  down.  Marg.  or,  estate.  Gesenius 
supposes  that  this  means  our  adver- 
sary or  enemy.  The  word  here  used 
(n"p)  he  regards  as  derived  from 
Cip — to  rise,  to  rise  up  ;  and,  hence, 
it  may  have  the  sense  of  rising  up 
against,  or  an  enemy.  So  Noyes  un- 
derstands it,  and  renders  it, 

"  Truly,  our  adversary  is  tlesUoyeil ; 
And  fire  hath  consumed  his  abundance." 

RosenmQller  accords  witii  this,  and 
it  seems  to  me  to  be  the  correct  view. 
According  to  this,  it  is  the  language 
of  the  righteous  (ver.  19)  when  ex- 
ulting over  the  punishment  of  the 
wicked,  saying,  'Our  foe  is  cut  down.' 
Jerome  renders  it,  Nonne  succisa  ej-t 
erectio  eorum,  etc.  The  LXX,  "Has 
not  their  substance  (i'n6ciraat(;)  dis- 
appeared .''"  The  sense  is  not  ma- 
terially different.  If  the  word  sub. 
stance.,  or  properti/,  is  to  be  retained, 
it  should  be  read  as  a  question,  and 
regarded  as  the  language  of  the 
righteous  who  exult,  '  Has  not  their 
substance  been  taken  away,  and  has 
not  the  fire  consumed  their  property  ?" 
Dr.  Good  strangely  renders  it,  "  For 
our  tribe  is  not  cut  off."  TI  But  the 
remnant  of  them.     Marg,  their  creel- 


12 


JOB. 


21   Acquaint  now  thyself  with 


1  i.  e.  God. 


a  l3.  27.  5.  Ph.  4.  7. 


lency.  Heb.  tj^r}^ .  Jerome,  reli- 
quias  eorum — "  the  remnants  of  Ihem.'' 
Sept.  y.(XTciXfi/i/ia — the  residue,  or 
%ckatislcft.  The  Hebrewvvord  C'Tl?) 
means,  the  remainder,  the  residue,  the 
rest ;  then,  wh&t  is  redundant,  more 
than  is  needed,  or  that  abounds  ;  and 
then,  wealth,  the  superabundant  pro- 
perty which  a  man  does  not  need,  for 
his  own  use  or  family.  Tlie  word 
here  probably  means  that  which  tlie 
rich  sinner  possessed.  IT  The  fire  con- 
sumeth.  Or,  hath  consumed.  It  has 
been  supposed  by  many  that  tiie  al- 
lusion here  is  to  the  destruction  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  such  an  allusion  is 
possible.  If  it  were  certain  that  Job 
lived  before  that  event,  there  could 
be  little  objection  to  such  a  supposi- 
tion. The  only  objection  would  be, 
that  a  reference  to  such  an  event  was 
not  more  prominent.  It  would  be  a 
case  just  in  point  in  the  argument  of 
the  three  friends  of  Job,  and  one  to 
which  it  might  be  supposed  they 
would  have  appealed  as  decisive  of 
the  controversy.  They  lived  in  the 
vicinity.  They  could  not  have  been 
strangers  to  so  remarkable  an  occur- 
rence, and  it  would  liave  furnished 
just  the  argument  which  they  wished, 
to  prove  that  God  punishes  the  wick- 
ed in  this  life.  If  they  lived  after 
that  event,  therefore,  it  is  difficult  to 
account  for  the  fact,  that  they  did  not 
make  a  more  distinct  and  prominent 
allusion  to  it  in  their  argument.  It 
is  true,  that  the  same  remark  maybe 
made  respecting  the  allusion  to  the 
flood,  which  was  a  case  equally  in 
point,  and  in  reference  to  which  the 
allusion,  if  it  exist  at  all,  is  almost 
equally  obscure.  So  far  as  the  lan- 
guage here  is  concerned,  the  refer- 
ence inay  be  either  to  the  destruction 
of  Sodom,  or  to  destruction  by  light- 
ning, such  as  happened  to  the  pos- 
sessions of  Job,  ch.  i.  16  ;  and  it  is 
difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  deter- 
mine which  is  correct.     The  general 


'  him,  and  be  at  peace  :  "  tliere- 
by  good  shall  come  unto  thee. 

idea  is,  that  the  judgments  of  heaven, 
represented  by  fire,  had  fallen  on  the 
wicked,  and  that  the  righteous,  tlicre- 
fore,  had  occasion  to  rejoice. 

21.  Jlcquaint  now  thyself  icith  him. 
Marg.  i.  e.  7rith  God.  Eliphaz  takes 
it  for  granted  now,  that  Job  was  a 
sinner  wholly  unreconciled  to  God, 
and  unacquainted  with  him.  This 
fact,  he  supposes,  was  the  source  of 
all  his  calamities.  As  long  as  he  re- 
mained thus  unreconciled  to  God,  he 
must  be  miserable.  He  proceeds, 
therefore,  in  a  most  beautiful  man- 
ner, to  exhort  liim  to  be  at  peace  with 
God,  and  portrays  the  benefits  which 
would  result  from  such  a  reconcilia- 
tion. There  are  few  passages  in  the 
Bible  of  more  exquisite  beauty  than 
this,  and  nothing  could  be  sounder 
advice,  on  the  supposition  that  Job 
was,  as  he  supposed,  a  stranger  to 
God.  In  this  beautiful  exhortation, 
he  shows  (I)  what  he  means  by  be- 
coming acquainted  with  God  (vs.  21, 
22,23)  :  and  then  (2)  what  would  bo 
the  happy  results  of  such  reconcilia- 
tion, vs.  24-30.  The  word  rendered 
acquaint  thyself  ("i?0'"! — from  '^^) 
means,  properly,  to  dwell,  to  be  fa- 
miliar with  any  one,  to  associate  with 
one — from  the  idea  of  dwelling  in 
the  same  tentor  house  ;  andin  Hiphil, 
the  form  here  used,  to  become  fa- 
miliar with  any  one,  to  be  on  terms 
of  friendship.  The  meaning  here  is, 
'Secure  the  friendship  of  God.  Be- 
come truly  acquainted  with  him.  Be 
reconciled  to  him.  You  ai;e  now  es- 
tranged. You  have  no  just  views  of 
him.  You  murmur  and  complain, 
and  you  are  suffering  under  his  dis- 
pleasure as  a  sinner.  But  it  is  not 
too  late  to  repent,  and  to  return  to 
him  ;  and  in  so  doing  you  will  find 
peace.'  An  acquaintance  with  God, 
in  the  sense  of  this  passage,  implies 
(1)  a  correct  knowledge  of  his  true 
cliaracter,  and  (2)  reconciliation  with 
him.  There  are  two  great  difficul- 
ties  among   men    in    rcg;  "d  to   God 


([lAP'l'Ell  XXTI. 


13 


'i'^  Kccoivo,  I  pri.y  thee,  tlic 
law  frDin  liis  mouth,  and  lay  up  " 
his  words  in  thine  heart. 

a  Ps.  119.  II.      b  IIos.  14. 1,2.      c  2  Ti.  2. 19. 

The  first  is,  that  they  have  no  just 
views  of  his  real  character.  They 
think  him  harsh,  stern,  tyrannical, 
rhey  regard  his  law  as  severe,  and 
its  penalty  as  unjust.  They  think  his 
government  to  be  arbitrary,  and  him- 
self to  be  unvvortiiy  of  confidence. 
J  his  erroneous  view  must  be  cor- 
lected  before  men  can   be  reconciled 

10  him — for  how  can  they  be  brought 
to  lay  aside  their  opposition  to  him 
while  they  regard  him  as  unjust  and 
severe  ?  Secondly,  even  when  the 
character  of  God  is  explained,  and 
his  true  character  is  set  before  men, 
they  are  opposed  to  it.  They  are 
opposed  to  liim  because  he  is  so  lioly. 
Loving  sin,  they  cannot  love  one  who 
lias  no  sin,  and  who  frowns  on  evil ; 
and  this  opposition  to  the  real  char- 
acter of  God  must  be  removed  before 
they  can  be  reconciled  to  him.  Thi.s 
requires  a  change  of  heart — a  change 
from  sin  to  holiness ;  and  this  is 
the  work  performed  in  regeneration. 

11  ^nd  be  at  peace.  There  can  be  no 
peace  while  you  maintain  a  warfare 
with  God.  It  is  a  war  against  your 
Maker,  where  he  has  control  over 
your  conscience,  your  intellect,  your 
body,  and  all  which  can  affect  your 
welfare  ;  and  while  this  is  maintained, 
there  can  be  no  peace.  If  the  mind 
js  reconciled  to  him,  there  will  be 
peace.  Peace  of  mind  always  follows 
reconciliation  where  there  has  been  a 
variance,  and  nowhere  is  the  peace 
so  entire  and  full  of  joy  as  when  man 
feels  that  he  is  reconciled  to  God. 
Eiiphaz  here  has  stated  a  doctrine 
whicii  has  been  confirmed  by  all  the 
.suijsequent  revelations  in  the  Bible, 
and  by  the  experience  of  all  those 
who  have  become  reconciled  to  God. 
Comp.  Notes  on  Rom.  v.  i.  It  is 
peace,  as  opposed  to  the  agitation  and 
conflict  of  the  mind  before  ;  peace  re- 
suiting  from  acquiescence  in  the 
clainis  of  God  ;   peace  in   the  belief 


23  If  thou  return  "  to  ilie  Al- 
mighty, thou  shall  be  built  up, 
thou  shall  put  away  "  iniquity  far 
from  thy  tabernacles. 

that  he  is  wholly  right,  and  worthy 
of  confidence;  and  peace  in  the  as- 
surances of  his  friendship  and  favor 
forever.  This  doctrine,  it  seems, 
was  thus  understood  in  the  early  ages 
of  the  world,  and,  indeed,  must  have 
been  known  as  early  as  religion  ex- 
isted after  the  fall.  Man  became 
alienated  from  God  by  the  apostacy  ; 
peace  was  to  be  found  again  only  by 
returning  to  God,  and  in  reconcilia- 
tion to  him.  IT  Therebij  good  shall 
come  unto  thee.  The  benefits  which 
he  supposed  would  result  from  such 
reconciliation,  he  proceeds  to  state  in 
the  following  verses.  They  relate 
chiefly  to  temporal  prosperity,  or  to' 
proofs  of  the  divine  favor  in  this  life. 
This  was  in  accordance  with  the 
views  which  then  prevailed,  and  es- 
pecially with  their  limited  and  ob- 
scure conceptions  of  the  future  state. 
They  saw  a  part — ice  see  more  ;  and 
yet  we  by  no  means  see  all.  The 
good  which  results  from  reconcilia- 
tion with  God  consists  in  (1)  pardon 
of  sin  ;  (2)  peace  of  conscience  ;  (3) 
the  assurance  that  we  shall  have  all 
that  is  needful  in  this  life;  (4)  sup- 
port in  trial ;  (5)  peace  and  triumph 
in  death  ;  (6)  a  part  in  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  just  ;  and  (7)  a  crown  in- 
corruptible and  undefiled  in  heaven. 
No  man  was  ever  injured  by  becom- 
ing reconciled  to  God  ;  no  one  is  re- 
conciled to  him  who  is  not  made  a 
better  and  a  happier  man  in  this  life, 
and  who  will  not  be  crowned  with 
immortal  glory  hereafter. 

22.  Receive,  I  pray  thee.,  the  law 
from  his  mouth.  Listen  to  his  com- 
mands, and  obey  his  precepts,  'i  And 
lay  up  his  icords  in  thine  heart.  Em- 
brace his  truth,  and  do  not  forget  it. 
Let  it  abide  with  you,  and  let  it  in- 
fluence your  secret  feelings  and  the 
purposes  of  the  soul.        ^ 

23.  If  thou  return  to  the  Almighty. 
Assuming  that  he  was  an  impenitent 


14 


JOB. 


24  Then    shalt    thou    lay    up 
gold   '  as  dust,   and  the  gold  of 

1  or,  on  the  dust. 

sinner,  and  wholly  unreconciled  to 
him.  IT  Thou  shalt  he  built  up.  A 
figure  taken  from  building  up  a  house, 
in  contradistinction  from  pulling  one 
down,  and  denoting  that  lie  would  be 
prospered  and  happy.  IT  Thou  shalt 
put  ainaij  iniquity.  RosenmtlUer, 
Good,  Noyes,  and  VVemyss,  suppose 
correctly,  as  it  seems  to  me,  that  the 
word  "  if"  is  to  be  understood  here 
to  complete  the  sense — "  if  thou  shalt 
j)Ut  away  iniquity."  IT  Frovi  thij  ta- 
bernacle. From  thy  tent,  or  dwelling. 
24.  Then  shalt  thoti  lay  vp  gold  as 
duit.  Marg.  or,  "on  tlte  dust."  Dr. 
Good  renders  this,  "  Thou  shalt  then 
count  thy  treasure  as  dust" — imply- 
ing that  he  would  have  much  of  it. 
Noye.s,  "  Cast  to  the  dust  thy  gold" — 
implying  that  he  would  throw  his 
gold  away  as  of  no  account,  and  put 
liis  dependence  on  God  alone.  Kim- 
chi,  and,  after  him,  Grotius,  suppose 
that  it  means,  "  Thy  gold  thou  slialt 
regard  no  more  than  dust,  and  gold  of 
Ophir  no  more  than  the  stones  of  the 
brook;  God  shall  be  to  thee  better 
than  gold  and  silver."  The  editor 
of  the  Pictorial  Bible  supposes  that 
there  is  here  a  distinct  reference  to 
the  sources  from  which  gold  was  for- 
merly obtained,  as  being  washed 
down  among  the  stones  of  the  brooks. 
The  word  rendered  gold  here  C"^^.?) 
is  from  ^2i3— to  cvt  off,  Ps.  Ixxvi. 
12,  and  was  properly  applied  to  the 
ore  of  precious  metals  in  the  rude 
state,  as  cut  or  dug  out  of  mines. 
Hence,  it  properly  refers  to  the  metals 
in  their  crude  state,  and  before  they 
were  subjected  to  the  fire.  Then  it 
comes  to  mean  precious  metals,  and  is 
parallel  withgoldof  Ophir  in  the  other 
hemistich.  The  word  occurs  only  in 
the  following  places;  Job  xxii.  24, 
xxxvi.  19,  where  it  is  rendered  gold, 
and  Jitb  xxii.  2.5,  where  it  is  rendered 
defence.  The  literal  translation  here 
would  be,  '  Cast  to  the  dust  the  pre- 
cious  nu'tals  ;   on    the  stgnes  of  the 


Ophir    as    the    stones    of    the 
brooks. 


brooks  [the  gold  of]  Ophir.'  The 
Vulgate  renders  it,  "  He  shall  give 
for  earth  flint,  and  for  flint  golden 
torrents."  The  LXX,  "Thou  shalt 
be  placed  on  a  mount  in  a  rock,  and 
as  a  rock  of  the  torrent  of  Ophir." 
Chald.  "  And  thou  shalt  place  upon 
the  dust  tliy  strong  tower  (^pi^l^  Tjt!^), 
and  as  a  rock  of  the  torrents  the  gold 
of  Ophir.'  The  word  lierc  is  pro- 
bably synonymous  with  precious  trea- 
sure, whether  consisting  in  gold  or 
silver  ;  and  the  idea  is,  that  he  should 
cast  to  the  dust  all  that  treasure,  or 
regard  it  as  valueless  ;  that  he  should 
cease  to  make  it  an  object  of  solici- 
tude to  gain  it,  and  then  the  Almiglity 
would  be  to  him  a  treasure  of  more 
value  than  gold.  According  to  this, 
the  idea  is,  not  that  he  would  be  re- 
compensed with  gold  and  silver  as 
the  consequence  of  returning  to  God, 
but  that  God  would  afiord  him  more 
happiness  than  he  had  found  in  the 
wealth  which  he  had  sought,  and  on 
which  Eliphaz  supposed  his  heart  had 
been  set.  He  regarded  Job  as  co- 
vetous of  property,  as  mourning  over 
that  wliirh  he  had  lost,  and  he  en- 
treats him  now  to  cease  to  grieve  on 
account  of  that,  and  to  come  and  put 
his  trust  in  God.  IT  Jlnd  the  gold  of 
Ophir  as  the  stones  of  the  brooks.  Or, 
rather,  '  Cast  the  gold  of  Ophir  to  the 
stones  of  the  valley,  or  let  it  remain 
in  its  native  valley  among  the  stones 
of  the  brook,  as  of  no  more  value 
than  they  are.'  There  is,  probably-, 
allusion  here  to  the  fact,  that  gold 
was  then  commonly  found  in  such 
places,  as  it  is  often  now.  It  was 
washed  down  by  mountain  torrents, 
and  lodged  among  the  stones  of  the 
valley,  and  was  thence  collected, 
and  the  sand  being  washed  out,  the 
gold  remained.  Ophir  is  uniformly 
mentioned  in  the  Scriptures  as  a 
place  abounding  in  gold,  and  as  well 
known.  See  1  Kings  ix.  28.  2  Chron. 
viii.  18,  ix.    10.   1  Kings  x    11,   xxiv. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


U 


25  Yea,  tlie  Almighty  shall  be 
thy  '  defence,  and  thou  shall  have 
"plenty  of  silver. 

1  or,  gold, 

48. 1  Chron.  xxix.  4.  Much  perplex- 
ity luis  been  Colt  ill  reference  to  its  sit- 
uation, and  llie  tliificiilty  lias  not  been 
entirely  removed.  In  regard  to  the 
opinions  which  have  been  held  on 
the  point,  the  reader  may  consult  my 
Notes  on  Isa.  xiii.  12,  tlie  Note  in  the 
Pictorial  Bible  on  2  Chron.  xx.  36, 
and  the  Dissertation  of  ]\Iartin  Lipe- 
nius  dc  Opliir,  in  Ugolin's  Thesaur- 
Sacr.  Ant.  Tom.  vii.  pp.  262-387; 
also,  the  Dissertation  of  J.  C.  Wich- 
mansliausen,  dc  navigatione  Ophiri- 
tica,  and  R-eland's  Dissertation  de 
Ophir  in  the  same  volume.  From 
the  mention  of  this  place  at  a  period 
so  early  as  the  time  of  Job,  it  is  rea- 
sonable to  suppose  that  it  was  not  a 
vory  remote  region,  as  there  is  no  evi- 
dence that  voyages  were  made  then 
to  distant  countries,  or  that  the  know- 
ledge of  geography  was  very  exten- 
sive. The  presumpf.ion  would  be,  that 
it  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Arabia. 

25.  Yea,  the  Almiirhty  shall  he.  Ori 
rather,  'then  the  Almighty  shall  be' 
—  ^'VT^-  ■  1'I^*2  meaning  is,  that  if  he 
would  return  to  (rod,  and  cast  off  liis 
anxiety  for  gold,  then  tiie  Almigiily 
would  be  liis  real  treasure,  and  would 
impart  to  him  solid  happiness.  II  Thij 
defence.  JVIarg.  guld.  The  margin 
is  the  more  correct  translation.  Tiie 
word  is  the  same  which  occurs  in  the 
previous  verse  ("'m),  and  there  ren- 
dered gold.  The  word  may  have  the 
sense  of  defence,  as  the  verb  (^^2) 
is  often  used  with  such  a  reference. 
Num.  xiii.  28.  Deut.  i.  28,  iii.  5,  ix.  1, 
etal.  The  meaning  of  such  places, 
where  the  word  is  applied  to  walled 
towns  or  fortified  places,  is,  that  the 
enemy  was,  by  means  of  walls,  cut  off 
from  approach.  Here,  however,  the 
idea  of  gold  or  treasure  better  suits  the 
connection,  and  the  meaning  is,  that 
God  would  be  to  him  an  invaluable 
treasure  or    source   of  happiness.    IT 


2G  For  then  .shall  thou  have 
thy  delight  in  the  Almighty,  and 
shalt  lift  up  thy  face  unto  God. 

2  silver  of  strengtii, 

Jlnd  thou  shalt  have  plenti/  of  silver. 
Marg  silver  of  strength.  The  correct 
idea,  however,  is,  '  and  the  Almighty 
shall  be  treasures  of  silver  unto  thee  ;' 
that  is,  he  shall  be  better  to  you  than 
an  abundance  of  the  precious  metals. 
The  Hebrew  is  literally,  "  And  silver 
of  treasures  unto  thee." 

26.  Shah  thou  have  thy  delight  in 
the  Almighty.  Instead  of  complain- 
ing of  him  as  jou  now  do,  you  would 
then  find  calm  enjoyment  in  contem- 
plating his  character  and  his  moral 
government.  This  is  a  correct  account 
of  the  effects  of  reconciliation.  He 
who  becomes  truly  '  acquainted  '  with 
God  has  pleasure  in  iiis  existence  and 
attributes ;  in  his  law  and  adminis- 
tration. No  longer  disposed  to  coui- 
plain,  he  confides  in  him  when  he  is 
afflicted  ;  flees  to  him  when  he  is 
persecuted;  seeks  him  in  the  day  of 
prosperity ;  prefers  him  to  all  that 
this  world  can  give,  and  finds  his 
supremest  joys  in  turning  away  from 
all  created  good  to  hold  communion 
with  the  Uncreated  One.  IT  And 
shalt  lift  %ip  thy  face  unto  God..  An 
emblem  of  prosperity,  happiness,  and 
conscious  innocence.  We  hang  our 
face  down  when  we  are  conscious  of 
guilt;  we  bow  the  head  in  adversity. 
When  conscious  of  uprightness  ; 
when  blessed  with  prosperity,  and 
when  we  have  evidence  that  we  are 
the  children  of  God,  we  look  up  to- 
ward heaven.  This  was  the  natural 
condition  of  men — made  to  look  up- 
wards, while  all  other  animals  look 
grovelling  on  the  earth.  So  Milton 
describes  the  creation  of  man  : 

There  wanted  yet  the  master-work,  tlie  end 
Of  all  yet  done  ;  a  creature,  who,  not  prone 
And  brute  as  other  creatures,  but  endued 
With  sanctity  of  reason,  mi^lit  erect 
His  stature,  and  upri:;ht  with  front  serene 
Govern  the  rest,  self-knowing  ;  and  from  thenco 
Magnanimous  to  correspond  with  heaven. 
But  grateful  to  acknowledge  whence  his  good 
Descends  ;  thither  with  heart,  and  voice,  and 

eyes, 
Directed  in  devotion,  to  adore 


16 


JOB 


27  Thou  "  shalt  make  thy 
prayer  unto  him,  and  he  shall 
hear  thee,  and  thou  shalt  pay  thy 
vows. 

28  Thou  shalt  also  decree  ' 
a  thing,  and  it  shall  be  establish- 
ed unto  thee  :  and  the  light  shall 
shine  upon  thy  ways. 

a  Ps.  6(i.  17-20.  J  Mat.  Q1.22. 

1  him  that  hath  low  eyes.  c  1  Pc.  5.  5. 

Anil  worship   God   supreme,    who  made  him 

chief 
Of  all  his  works.  Par.  Lost,  B.  vii. 

Tlie  classic  reader  will  instantly  re- 
collect the  description  in  Ovid  : 
Pronaque  cum  spectent  animalia  csetera  ter- 

ram  ; 
Os  homini  sublime  dedit  ;  ccclumque  tueri  ' 
Jussit,  et  erectos  ad  sidera  toUere  vuHus. 

Meta.  i.  84. 

27.  Thou  shah  make  thy  prayer 
unto  him.  God  would  then  liear  him, 
for  he  would  be  righteous.  This 
was  one  of  the  blessings  which  would 
follow  reconciliation  It  is,  in  fact, 
one  of  the  blessings  of  a  return  to 
God.  He  hears  the  cry  of  his  people, 
and  answers  their  supplications.  To 
be  permitted  to  go  to  God  and  to  tell 
him  all  our  wants,  to  plead  for  all  we 
need,  and  to  implore  blessings  on  onr 
families  and  friends,  is  a  privilege  of 
far  higher  value  than  any  thing  which 
wealth  can  bestow  ;  is  worth  more 
than  all  the  honors  of  this  world. 
Tl  Jlnd  thou  shalt  pay  thy  vows.  That 
i.s,  thy  vows  shall  be  accepted  ;  thou 
shalt  obtain  those  blessings  for  wliich 
thou  didst  make  thy  vows. 

28.  Thou  shalt  also  decree  a  thing, 
and  it  sha'l  lie  established  nrito  thee. 
Thou  shalt  form  a  purpose  or  plan, 
and  it  shall  not  be  frustrate(3.  It 
.shall  not  be  opposed  by  the  events  of 
divine  Providence,  but  whatever  you 
undertake  shall  prosper.  U  .^nd  the 
light  shall  shine  upon  thy  loaijs.  Thou 
shalt  he  prospered  in  all  things,  in- 
stead of  being  overtaken  with  cala- 
mity. 

20.  When  men  are  east  down  The 
nipaning  of  this  is,  probably,  when 
men  arc  usually  cast  <lo\vu,  or  in  the  I 


29  When  mm  are  cast  down, 
then  thou  shalt  say,  There  is 
lifting  up  ,  ajid  he  shall  save 
'  the  humble  "  person. 

30  He  '  shall  deliver  the  isl- 
and of  the  innocent  :  and  it  is 
delivered  by  the  pureness  of 
thine  hands. 

2  ur,  the  innocent  shall  deliver  the  island,  Ge. 

18.  26. 

times  of  trial  and  calamity,  wl)ich 
prostrate  others,  you  shall  lind  sup- 
port. You  shall  then  be  enabled  to 
say,  'there  is  lifting  up,  or  there  is 
support.'  Or,  more  probably  still,  it 
may  mean,  'in  times  when  others 
are  cast  down  and  afflicted,  thou  shalt 
be  able  to  raise  them  up,  or  to  aid 
them.  Thou  shalt  be  able  to  go  to 
them  and  say,  "  Be  of  good  cheer. 
Do  not  be  cast  down.  There  is  con- 
solation." And  thou  shalt  be  able  to 
procure  important  blessings  for  them 
by  thy  counsels  and  prayers.'  See 
Notes  on  ver.  30.  H  Jlnd  he  shall 
save  the  humble  person.  That  is, 
eitlier,  '  Thou  shalt  save  the  humble 
person,'  by  a  change  from  the  second 
person  to  the  third,  which  is  not  un- 
common in  Hebrew  ;  or,  'thou  shalt 
be  able  from  thine  own  experience 
to  say.  He,  i.  e.  God,  will  save  the 
humble  person,  or  the  one  that  is  cast 
down.'  Marg.  him  that  hath  loio 
eyes.  The  Hebrew  is  like  the  margin. 
In  affliction  the  eyes  are  cast  upon 
the  ground  ;  and  so,  also,  a  casting 
the  eyes  to  the  ground  is  indica- 
tive of  dejection,  of  humility,  or  of 
modesty.  It  refers  here  to  one  who 
experiences  trials  ;  and  Eliphaz  says 
that  Job  would  be  able  to  save  such 
an  one  ;  that  is,  to  support  him  in 
his  afflictions,  and  furnish  the  helps 
necessary  to  restore  him  again  to 
comfort. 

30  He  shall  deliver  the  island  oj 
the  iniioecnt.  Marg.  the  innocent 
shall  deliver  the  island.  Never  was 
there  a  more  unhappy  translation 
than  tills  ;  and  it  is  quite  clear  that 
our    translators    had    no     iiil('llii;ii)]t< 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


17 


>dea  of  the  meaning  of  tlie  passage. 
Wliat  can  be  meant  by  "  saving 
tlie  island  of  tiie  innocent?"  Tiie 
word  riMulered  islinid  ("^N)  commonly 
means,  indeed,  an  island,  or  a  mari- 
time country.  See  Notes  on  Is:i.  xx. 
G,  xli.  1.  It  is,  liowever,  used  as  a 
negative  in  1  Sam.  iv.  21,  in  the 
name  I-chahod — ^^^^■■^X  .  "  And  she 
named  tiie  cliild  I-chabod  (marg.  i.  e 
where  is  the  glory?  or,  tliete  is  no 
glory),  saying,  the  glory  is  departed 
Irom  Israel."  This  sense  is  frequent 
in  the  Rabbinic  Hebrew,  where  it  is 
ufed  as  connected  with  an  adjective 
in  a  privitive  sense,  like  the  English 
uji.  It  is  probably  an  abbreviated 
form  of  ("pi*)  not,  nothing;  and  is 
used  here  as  a  negative  to  qualify  the 
following  word,  "He  shall  deliver 
even  him  that  is  7iot  innocent."  So 
it  is  rendered  by  the  Chaldee,  by  Le 
Clerc,RosenmUller,  Gesenius,]\o}es, 
and  others.  The  Vulgate  and  the 
Septuagint  render  it,  "  He  shall  de- 
liver the  innocent."  The  sense  is, 
that  the  man  who  returns  to  God, 
and  who  is  regarded  by  him  as  his 
friend,  will  be  able  to  intercede  for  the 
guilty,  and  to  save  them  from  the 
punishment  which  they  deserved. 
His  prayers  and  intercessions  will  be 
lieard  in  their  behalf,  and  on  his  ac- 
count favors  will  be  shown  to  them, 
even  when  they  did  not  personally 
deserve  them.  This  sentiment  ac- 
cords with  that  expressed  in  Gen. 
xviii.  26,  "  If  I  find  in  Sodom  fifty 
righteous  within  the  citj-,then  1  will 
.spare  all  the  place  for  their  sakes." 
Ezek.  xiv.  14,  "  Though  these  three 
men,  Noah,  Daniel,  and  Job  were  in 
it,  they  should  deliver  but  their  own 
souls."  Comp.'  Ezek.  xxii.  oO.  Jer. 
V    1.     The    sentiment,    also,    had    a 


beautiful  illustration,  though  one 
which  Eliphaz  did  not  here  think  of, 
in  his  own  case  and  that  of  his 
iriends,  where  this  very  Job,  to  whom 
he  was  giving  this  counsel,  was  di- 
rected to  intercede  for  them.  Ch 
xlii.  7,  8.  The  sentiment,  indeed,  is 
found  every  where  in  the  Scriptures, 
that  the  righteous  arc  permitted  to 
pray  for  others,  and  that  they  arc 
thus  the  means  of  bringing  down  im 
portant  blessings  on  them.  In  an- 
swer to  those  prayers,  multitudes  are 
saved  from  calamity  here,  and  will 
be  brought  to  eternal  life  hereafter. 
IT  ^^nd  it  is  delivered  by  the  j'ureness 
of  thine  hands.  Or,  rather,  he,  i.  e 
the  wicked,  for  whom  you  pray,  will 
be  delivered  by  the  pureness  of  thine 
hands.  That  is,  God  will  save  hiui 
in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  a  righteous 
man.  Your  upriglit  and  holy  life  ; 
your  pure  hands  stretched  out  in  sup- 
plication, shall  be  the  means  of  saving 
him.  No  one  can  tell  how  many 
blessings  are  conferred  on  wicked 
men  because  the  righteous  pray  for 
them.  No  one  can  tell  how  many  a 
wicked  son  is  spared,  and  ultimately 
saved,  in  answer  to  tiie  intercessions 
of  a  holy  parent ;  nor  can  the  wicked 
world  yet  know  how  mucii  it  owes 
its  preservation,  and  the  numberless 
blessings  which  it  enjoys,  to  the  in- 
tercessions of  the  saints.  It  is  one  of 
the  innumerable  blessings  of  being  a 
child  of  God  thus  to  be  permitted  to 
be  the  means  of  bringing  down  bless- 
ings on  others,  and  saving  sinners 
from  ruin.  All  the  friends  of  God 
may  thus  confer  unspeakable  benefits 
to  others  ;  and  they  who  have  '  an  n- 
terest  at  tlie  throne  of  grace'  sho\  Id 
plead  without  ceasing  for  the  sa?  j.- 
vation  of  guilty  and  dying  men. 


18 


JOB. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


ANALYSIS    OF    CHAPTERS    XXIII.    AND    XXIV 


These  two  chapters  contain  the  answer  of  Job  to  the  last  speech  of  Eliphaz.  The  address 
is  that  of  a  mind  agitated  by  deep  and  conflicting  emotions.  It  consists  in  part  in  the  expression 
ofthose  emotions,  and  in  part  in  an  endeavor  once  more  to  convince  his  friends  of  the  falsehood 
of  their  positions.     Tlie  address  comprises  the  following  topics. 

He  expresses  the  depth  of  his  sorrows,  and  says  that  his  complaint  is  more  bitter  than  he  had 
yet  expressed,  ch.  xxiii.  2.  He  then  repeats  his  earnest  desire  to  carry  bis  cause  before  God, 
since  he  could  obtain  no  justice  from  men,  but  he  knows  not  whore  to  find  him.  He  is  assured 
that  if  he  could  get  his  cause  before  him,  justice  would  be  done  him,  vs.  3-9.  In  this  perplexity, 
however,  he  consoles  himself  with  the  reflection  that  though  he  had  not  the  opportunity  of 
pleading  his  cause  as  he  wished  before  God,  yet  that  he  knew  that  he  was  sincere,  tmd  would 
yet  appear  for  his  vindication,  and  bring  him  forth  as  gold,  vs.  10-12.  Yet,  he  says,  he  is  trou- 
bled at  the  dealings  of  God  with  liim,  notwithstanding  his  consciousness  of  integrity.  He 
trcnil)lps  .it  tlie  contemplation  of  a  Being  who  thus  carries  forward  his  eternal  and  unchangeable 
purpose  ;  who  has'all  power  to  execute  his  designs  ;  and  whose  judgments  are  so  fearful,  vs. 
13-17. 

Having  thus  given  vent  to  his  feelings,  he  returns  to  the  argument,  ch.  xxiv.  He  attempts  by 
one  more  effort  to  convince  his  adversaries  that  it  was  not  a  matter  of  fact  tliat  God  dealt  with 
the  wicked  in  Ibis  life  as  they  deserved,  and  that  in  fact  many  of  them  lived  in  prosperity.  He 
denies  that  judgments  come  universally  upon  wicked  men,  and  maintains  that  they  do  not  even 
frequently  come  ;  and  he  produces  a  catalogue  of  enormous  crimes,  and  siiows  that  they  who 
committed  them  actually  lived  and  were  prospered.  He  specifies  those  who  remove  the  land- 
marks ;  those  who  plunder  flocks  and  herds  ;  those  who  oppress  tlie  fatherless  and  the  widow  ; 
tliose  who  are  cruel ;  those  who  pluck  the  fatherless  from  the  breast,  and  take  a  pledge  of  the 
poor  ;  he  mentions  the  murderer,  the  adulterer,  the  thief,  and  says  that  all  these  in  fact  live 
and  flourish.  Yet  he  maintains  that,  notwithstanding  their  present  prosperity,  they  shall  be 
brought  down,  and  meet  the  rewards  of  their  wickedness  hereafter.  As  all  this  was  indisputable, 
it  ended  the  controversy.  Eliphaz  and  Zopliar  made  no  further  reply,  and  Bildad  only  made 
(ch  XXV.)  a  feeble  effort,  without  attempting  to  meet  the  facts,  and  uttered  some  vague  gener- 
alities whicli  showed  that  he  in  fact  had  no  more  to  say. 


T^HEN  Job  answered  and  said, 
-^      2  Even  to-day  is  my  com- 


2.  Even  to-day.  At  the  present 
time.  I  am  not  relieved.  You  afford 
me  no  consolation.  All  that  you  say 
only  aggravates  my  woes.  IT  J\hj 
complaint.  See  Notes  on  ch.  xxi.  3. 
IT  Bitter.  Sad,  melancholy,  distress- 
ing. The  meaning  is,  not  that  he 
made  bitter  complaints  in  the  sense 
which  those  words  would  naturally 
convey,  or  that  he  meant  to  find 
fault  with  God,  hut  that  his  case  was 
a  hard  one.  His  triends  furnished 
him  no  relief,  and  he  had  in  vain  en- 
deavored to  bring  his  cause  betore 
God.  This  is  now,  as  he  proceeds  to 
state,  the  principal  cause  of  his  diffi- 
culty. He  knows  not  where  to  find 
God  ;  he  cannot  get  his  cause  before 
liim.  ^  My  stroke.  Marg.  as  in  Heb. 
hand  :  that  is,  the  hand  that  is  upon 


plaint  bitter  :  my  '  stroke  is  hea- 
vier than  my  groaning. 

1  hand. 

me,  or  the  calamity  that  is  inflicted 
upon  me.  The  kajid  is  represented 
as  the  instrument  of  inflicting  punish- 
ment, or  causing  affliction.  See  Notes 
on  ch.  xix.  21.  TI  Heavier  than  my 
groaning.  My  sighs  bear  no  propor- 
tion to  my  sufferings.  They  are  no 
adequate  expression  of  my  woes.  If 
you  think  I  complain  ;  if  I  am  lieard 
to  groan,  yet  the  sufl^erings  which  I 
endure  are  far  beyond  what  these 
would  seem  to  indicate.  Sighs  and 
groans  are  not  improper.  They  are 
prompted  by  nature,  and  they  furnish 
some  relief  to  a  sufferer.  But  they 
should  not  be  (],)  with  .i  spirit  o. 
murmuring  or  complaining  ;  (2,)  thoy 
should  not  be  heyond  wliat  our  suffer- 
ings demand,  or  the  proper  expres- 
sion of  our  sufferings.     They  ihould 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


19 


3  Oh  "that  I  knew  where  I 
might  find  him !  that  I  might 
come  even  to  his  seat ! 

4  I  would  order  my  cause  * 
before  him,  and   fill   my  mouth 

a  Is.  20.  8.  Je.  14.  7. 

not  be  such  as  to  lead  others  to  sup- 
pose we  suffer  more  tlian  we  actually 
do.  (3.)  They  sliould — wlien  they  are 
extorted  from  us  by  the  severity  of  suf- 
feritig — lead  us  to  look  to  that  world 
where  no  groan  will   ever  be  heard. 

3.  0  tluit  I  knew  ichere  I  might  find 
him.  Wliere  1  might  find  God.  He 
had  often  expressed  a  wish  to  bring 
his  cause  directly  before  God,  and  to 
be  permitted  to  plead  iiis  cause  there. 
See  Notes  on  ch.  xiii.  3,  20,  seq. 
But  this  he  had  not  yet  been  able  to 
do.  The  argument  had  been  with 
his  three  friends,  and  he  saw  that 
there  was  no  use  in  attempting  fur- 
ther to  convince  them.  If  he  could 
get  the  cause  before  God,  and  be  al- 
lowed to  plead  it  there,  he  felt  as- 
sured that  justice  would  be  done  him. 
But  he  had  not  been  able  to  do  this. 
God  had  not  come  forth  in  any  visi- 
ble and  public  manner  as  he  wished, 
so  that  the  cause  could  be  fairly  tried 
before  such  a  tribunal,  and  he  was  in 
darkness.  The  language  here  used 
will  express  the  condition  of  a  pious 
man  in  the  times  of  spiritual  dark- 
ness. He  cannot  find  God.  He  has 
no  near  access  as  he  once  had  to  him. 
In  such  a  state  he  anxiously  seeks  to 
find  God,  but  he  cannot.  There  is 
no  light  and  no  comfort  to  his  soul. 
This  language  may  further  describe 
the  state  of  one  who  is  conscious  of 
uprightness,  and  who  is  exposed  to 
the  suspicion  or  the  unkind  remarks 
of  the  world.  His  character  is  at- 
tacked ;  his  motives  are  impugned; 
his  designs  are  suspected,  and  no  one 
is  disposed  to  do  him  justice.  In 
such  a  state,  he  feels  that  God  alone 
will  do  him  justice.  He  knows  the 
sincerity  of  his  heart,  and  he  can 
safely  commit  his  cause  to  him.  It 
is  always  the  privilege  of  the  calum- 
niated and  the  slandered  to  make  an 


with  arguments. 

5  I  would  know  the  words 
whirh  he  would  answer  me,  and 
understand  what  he  would  say 
unto  me. 

6  Is.  43. 2G 

appeal  to  the  divine  tribunal,  and  to 
feel  that  whatever  injustice  our  fel- 
low-men may  be  disposed  to  do  us, 
there  is  One  who  will  never  do  a 
wrong.  IT  That  /  might  come  even 
to  his  scat.  To  his  throne,  or  tribu- 
nal. Job  wished  to  carry  the  cause 
directly  before  him.  Probably  he 
desired  some  manifestation  of  God — 
such  as  he  was  afterwards  favored 
with — when  God  would  declare  his 
judgment  on  the  whole  matter  of  the 
controversy. 

4.  I  would  order  my  cause  before 
him.  Comp.  Notes  on  Isa.  xliii.  26. 
That  is,  I  would  arrange  my  argu- 
ments, or  plead  my  cause,  as  one  does 
in  a  court  of  justice.  I  would  sug- 
gest the  considerations  which  would 
show  that  I  am  not  guilty  in  the 
sense  charged  by  my  friends,  and 
that  notwithstanding  my  calamities,  I 
am    the   real   friend   of  God.     IT  Jlnd 

fill  my  mouth  loith  arguments.  Proba- 
bly he  means  that  he  would  appeal  to 
the  evidence  furnished  by  a  life  of 
benevolence  and  justice,  that  he  was 
not  a  hypocrite  or  a  man  of  distin- 
guished wickedness,  as  his  friends 
maintained. 

5.  /  loould  know  the  words  which 
he  Would  ansiccr  me.  That  is,  I  wish 
to  understand  what  would  be  his  de- 
cision in  the  case — and  what  would 
be  his  judgment  in  regard  to  me. 
That  was  of  infinitely  more  import- 
ance than  any  opinion  which  man 
could  form,  and  Job  was  anxious  to 
have  the  matter  decided  by  a  tribunal 
which  could  not  err.  VVhy  should 
we  not  desire  to  know  exactly  what 
God  thinks  of  us,  and  wliat  estimate 
he  has  formed  of  our  character  ? 
There  is  no  information  so  valuable 
to  us  as  that  would  be  ;  for  on  his  es- 
timate hangs  our  eternal  doom,  and 
yet  there  is  nothing  which  men  more 


20 


JOB 


6  Will  "  he  plead  against  me 
with  his  great  power  1  No  ;  but 
he  would  put  strength  in  me. 

a  Is.  57. 16. 

instinctively  dread  than  to  know 
wliat  God  thinks  of  their  character. 
It  would  be  well  for  each  one  to  ask 
himself,  If'/uj  is  it  so? 

6.  IViU.  he  plead  against  me  with 
his  great  power  ?  '  Will  he  make 
use  of  his  mere  poioer  to  overwhelm 
me  and  confound  me  .'  Will  he  take 
advantage  of  omnipotence  to  triumph 
over  me,  instead  of  argument  and 
justice  .''  No  :  he  will  not  do  it.  The 
discussion  would  be  fair.  He  would 
Jiear  what  I  have  to  say,  and  would 
decide  according  to  truth.  Though 
he  is  Almighty,  yet  he  would  not 
take  advantage  of  that  to  prostrate 
and  confound  me.'  When  Job  (ch. 
xiii.  3)  wished  to  carry  the  cause 
directly  before  God,  he  asked  of  Him 
two  conditions  only.  One  was,  that 
he  would  take  otf  his  handfroui  him, 
or  remove  his  afflictions  for  a  time, 
that  he  might  be  able  to  manage  his 
own  cause  ;  and  the  other  was,  that 
He  would  not  take  advantage  of  his 
power  to  overwhelm  him  in  the  de- 
bate, and  prevent  his  making  a  fair 
statement  of  his  case.  See  Notes  on 
ch.  xiii.  20,  21.  He  here  expresses 
his  firm  conviction  that  his  wish  in 
this  respect  would  be  granted.  He 
would  listen,  says  he,  to  what  I  have 
to  say  in  my  defence  as  if  I  were  an 
equal.  U  No :  hut  he  would  put 
strength  in  me.  The  word  strength 
is  not  improperly  supplied  by  our 
translators.  It  means  that  he  would 
enable  him  to  make  a  fair  presenta- 
tion of  his  cause.  So  far  from  taking 
advantage  of  his  mere  poivcr  to  crush 
him,  and  thus  obtain  an  ascendency 
in  the  argument,  he  would  rather 
strengthen  him,  that  he  might  be  able 
to  make  his  case  as  strong  as  possible. 
He  would  rather  aid  him,  though 
presenting  his  own  cause  in  the  con- 
troversy, than  seek  to  weaken  his  ar- 
guments, or  so  to  awe  him  by  his 
dread     majesty    as     to    prevent    his 


V  There  the  righteous  might 
dispute  with  him  ;  so  shall  I  be 
delivered  for  ever  from  my 
judge. 

making  the  case  as  strong  as  it  might 
be.  This  indicates  remarkable  con- 
fidence in  God. 

7.  There  the  righteous  might  dis- 
pute  with  him.  One  who  is  conscious 
of  his  integrity  might  carry  his  cause 
there,  with  the  assurance  that  he 
would  be  heard,  and  that  justice 
would  be  done  him.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  that  Job  here  refers  to  him- 
self, though  he  speaks  in  the  third 
person,  and  advances  this  as  a  general 
proposition.    IT  So  shall  I  he  delivered 

for  ever  from  my  judge.  From  him 
who  would  judge  or  condemn  me 
(iqSiU'ij.  He  does  not  here  refer  to 
God,  as  if  he  would  be  delivered 
from  him,  but  to  any  one  who  would 
attempt  to  judge  and  condemn  him,  as 
his  friends  had  done.  The  meaning 
is,  that  having,  as  he  confidently  ex- 
pected he  would,  obtained  the  ver- 
dict of  God  in  his  favor,  he  would  be 
ever  after  free  from  condemnation. 
The  decision  would  be  final.  There 
was  no  higher  tribunal,  and  no  one 
would  dare  to  condemn  hini  after- 
wards. This  shows  his  conscious- 
ness of  integrity.  It  may  be  applied 
to  ourselves — to  all.  If  we  can  ob- 
tain, at  the  last  day,  when  our  cause 
shall  be  brought  before  God,  the  di- 
vine verdict  in  our  favor,  it  will  settle 
iho  matter  for  ever.  No  one,  after 
that,  will  condemn  us  ;  never  again 
shall  our  character  or  conduct  be 
put  on  trial.  The  divine  decision  of 
that  day  will  settle  the  question  to  all 
eternity.  How  momentous,  then,  is 
it  that  wo  should  so  live  as  to  be 
acquitted  in  that  day,  and  to  have  a?i 
eternal  sentence  in  our  favor  ! 

8.  Behold,  I  go  forward  The 
meaning  of  these  verses  is,  I  go  in 
all  directions,  but  I  cannot  find  God. 
I  am  excluded  from  the  trial  which  I 
seek,  and  I  cannot  bring  my  cause  to 
his  throne.  Job  expresses  his  earnest 
desire  to  see  some  visible  manifesta 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


21 


8  Behold,  I  go  forward,   but 
he  is  not  there;   and  backward, 

tion  of  the  Deity,  and  to  be  permitted 
to  argue  liis  cause  -in  his  presence. 
But  he  says  lie  souglit  this  in  vain. 
He  looked  to  all  points  of  the  compass 
vvliere  he  might  rationally  expect  to 
find  Ciod,  hut  all  in  vain.  The  terms 
here  used  refer  to  the  points  of  the 
compass,  and  should  have  been  so 
rendered.  The  Oriental  geographers 
considered  themselves  as  facing  the 
East,  instead  of  the  North,  as  we  do. 
Of  course,  tlie  ^V^cst  was  behind  them, 
the  South  on  the  right  iiand,  and  on 
the  left  the  IVorth.  This  was  a  more 
natural  position  than  ours,  as  day  be- 
gins in  the  East,  and  it  is  natural  to 
turn  th<'  face  in  that  direction.  There 
is  no  reason  why  our  maps  should  he 
made  so  as  to  require  us  to  face  the 
JVorth,  except  that  such  is  the  custom. 
The  Hebrew  custom,  in  this  respect, 
is  found  also  in  the  notices  of  geog- 
raphy in  other  nations.  The  same 
thing  prevails  among  the  Hindoos. 
Among  them.  Para,  or  Purra,  signi- 
f^-ing  "before,"  denotes  the  East; 
Apara  and  Paschima,  meaning  "be- 
hind," the  West ;  Dacshina,  or  "  tiio 
riglit  hand,"  the  South  ;  and  Bania, 
or  "  the  left  hand,"  the  North.  See 
Wilford's  Inquiry  res])ecting  the  Holy 
Isles  in  tlie  West,  Asiatic  Researches, 
vol.  viii.  p.  275.  The  same  tiling  oc- 
curred among  the  ancient  Irish.  See 
an  Essay  on  tlie  Antiquity  of  the  Irish 
language,  by  an  unknown  author, 
Dublin,  1772.  Comp.  on  this  sub- 
ject, Rosen milller's  Alterthumskun- 
de  i.  s.  136-144.  The  same  custom 
prevailed  among  the  Mongols.  Gc- 
seriius.  On  the  notices  of  the  science 
of  geography  exhibited  in  the  book 
of  Job,  comp.  Intro.  §  viii.  2,  3.  The 
phrase,  therefore,  "  Behold,  I  go  for- 
ward," means,  '  I  go  to  the  East.  1 
look  toward  the  rising  of  the  sun.  I 
see  there  the  most  wonderful  of  the 
works  of  the  Creator  in  the  glories  of 
the  sun,  and  I  go  towards  it  in  iiopes 
of  finding  there  some  manifestation 
of  God.  But  I  find  him  not,  and, 
disappointed,  1  turn    to  other  direc- 


but  I  cannot  perceive  him  ; 
9  On  the  left  hand,  where  he 

tions.'  Most  of  the  ancient  versions 
render  this  the  East.  Thus  the  Vul- 
eale.  Si  ad  Oricntem  icro.  Tlie 
Chaldce  '*?"'^'??,  to  the  sun-risivg. 
TI  But  he  is' not  there.  There  is  no 
manifestation  of  God,  no  coming 
forth  to  meet  me,  and  to  hear  my 
cause.  ^]  Jlndbackicard  i'^"^^^'.).  To 
the  West — for  this  was  behind  the 
individual  when  he  stood  looking  to 
the  East.  Sometimes  the  West  is 
denoted  by  this  term  behind  CIPIX), 
and  sometimes  by  the  sea  C^^),  be- 
cause the  Mediterranean  was  at  the 
West  of  Palestine  and  Arabia.  See 
Notes  on  Isa.  ix.  12.  Comp.  Ex.  x. 
1[),  xxvii.  13,  xxxviii.  12.  Gen.  xxviii. 
14.  IT  But  I  cannot  perceive  him.  The 
meaning  is, '  Disappointed  in  the  East, 
the  region  of  the  rising  sun,  I  turn 
with  longing  to  the  JVest,  the  region 
of  his  setting,  and  hope,  as  his  last 
beams  fade  from  the  view,  that  I 
shall  be  permitted  to  behold  some 
ray  that  shall  reveal  God  to  my  soul. 
Before  the  night  settles  down  upon 
the  world,  emblem  of  the  darkness 
in  my  soul,  I  would  look  upon  the 
last  lingering  ray,  and  hope  that  in 
that  I  may  see  God.  In  that  vast  re- 
gion of  the  West,  illuminated  by  the 
setting  sun,  I  would  hope  somewhere 
to  find  him  ;  but  I  am  disappointed 
there.  The  sun  withdraws  his  beams, 
and  darkness  steals  on,  and  the  world, 
like  my  soul,  is  enveloped  in  gloom. 
I  can  see  no  indications  of  the  pres- 
ence of  God  coming  forth  to  give  me 
an  opportunity  to  argue  my  cause  be 
fore  him.' 

9.  On  the  left  hand.  That  is,  in  the 
North — at  the  left  hand  when  the 
fac«  was  turned  to  the  East.  So 
the  Chaldee,  !^;*IS:^3— o„  the  ^orth. 
The  other  versions,  the  Vulgate,  the 
Septuagint,  the  Syriac,  Castellio, 
Luther,  &c,  render  it  on  the  left  hand. 
The  common  term  among  the  lie- 
brews  for  the  JVorth  is  IIS^J  — tzaphon 
(from    "(SS  —  to    hide,    or    conceal)^ 


22 


JOB. 


meaning  the  liidden,  concealed,  or 
dark  region,  since  the  ancients  re- 
garded tlie  JNorth  as  the  seat  of  gloom 
and  darkness  (Horn.  Od.  ix.25,  seq.), 
while  they  supposed  the  South  to  be 
illuminated  by  the  sun.  Gcscnius. 
Frequently,  however,  as  here,  the 
word  "  left,"  or  "  left  hand,"  is  used. 
The  region  of  the  North  is  intended. 
IT  JVherc  he  doth  work.  Where  there 
are  such  wonderful  manifestations  of 
his  majesty  and  glory.  May  Job 
here  not  refer  to  the  Jlurora  Borcalis, 
the  remarkable  display  of  the  power 
of  God  which  is  seen  in  those  regions  ? 
May  he  not  have  felt  that  there 
was  some  special  reason  why  ho 
might  hope  to  meet  with  God  in  that 
quarter,  or  to  see  him  manifest  him- 
self amidst  the  brilliant  lights  that 
play  along  th.e  sky,  as  if  to  precede 
or  accompany  him  .'  And  when  he 
had  looked  to  the  splendor  of  the 
risingsun,  and  the  glory  of  his  setting, 
in  vain,  was  it  not  natural  to  turn  his 
eye  to  the  next  remarkable  manifes- 
tation, as  he  supposed,  of  God,  in  the 
glories  of  the  Northern  lights,  and  to 
expect  to  find  him  there  .''  There  is 
reason  to  tliink  that  the  ancient  Chal- 
deans, and  other  heathens,  regarded 
the  regions  of  the  North,  illuminated 
with  these  celestial  splendors,  as  the 
peculiar  residence  of  the  gods  (see 
Notes  on  Isa  xiv.  13),  and  it  seems  pro- 
bable that  Job  may  have  had  allusion 
to  some  such  prevailing  opinion. 
U  But  I  cannot  behold  him.  I  can  see 
the  exhibition  of  remaikable  splen- 
dor, but  still  God  is  unseen.  He 
docs  not  come  amidst  those  glories 
to  give  mc  an  opportunity  to  carry  my 
cause  before  him.  The  meaning, 
then,  of  this  is,  '  Disappointed  in  the 
East  and  the  West,  I  turn  to  the 
North.  Tiiere  I  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  witness  extraordinary  niani- 
fjsfations  of  his  magnificence  and 
glory.  There  beautiful  constellations 
circle  the  pole.  There  the  Aurora 
plays,  and  seems  to  be  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  glory  of  God.  Next  to 
the  glory  of  the  rising  and  setting 
sun,  1  turn  to  those  brilliant  lights,  lo 
see  if  tliere  I  may  n'»t  find  my  God, 


but  in  vain.  Those  lights  are  cold 
and  chilly,  and  reveal  no  God  to  my 
soul.  Disappointed,  then  I  turn  to 
the  last  point,  the  South,  to  see  if  I 
can  find  him  there.'  IF  Hchidcth  him- 
self on  tlie  right  hand.  On  the  South. 
The  South  was  to  the  ancients  an  un- 
known region.  The  deserts  of  Arabia, 
indeed,  stretched  away  in  that  re- 
gion, and  they  were  partially  known, 
and  they  had  some  knowledge  that 
the  sea  was  beyond.  But  they  regard- 
ed the  regions  farther  to  the  Soutii,  if 
there  was  land  there,  as  wholly  im- 
passable and  uninhabitable  on  ac- 
count of  the  heat.  The  knowledge 
of  geography  was  slowly  acquired, 
and,  of  course,  it  is  impossible  to  tell 
what  were  the  views  which  prevail- 
ed on  the  subject  in  the  time  of  Job. 
That  there  was  little  accuracy  of  in- 
formation about  remote  countries 
must  be  regarded  as  an  indisputable 
fact ;  and,  probably,  they  had  little 
conception  of  distant  parts  of  the 
earth,  except  that  formed  by  conjec- 
ture. Interesting  details  of  the  vievvg 
of  the  ancients,  on  this  subject,  may 
be  found  in  the  Encyclopedia  of 
Geography,  vol.  i.  pp.  10-68.  Com- 
pare particularly  the  Notes  on  ch. 
xxvi.  10.  The  earth  was  regarded  as 
encompassed  with  waters,  and  the  dis- 
tant southern  regions,  on  account  of 
the  impossibility  of  passing  through 
the  heat  of  the  torrid  zone,  were  sup- 
posed to  be  inaccessible.  To  those 
hidden  and  unknown  realms,  Job  says 
he  now  turned,  when  he  had  in  vain 
looked  to  each  other  quarter  of  the 
heavens,  to  see  if  he  could  find  some 
manifestation  of  God.  Yet  he  looked 
to  that  quarter  equally  in  vain.  God 
hid  or  concealed  himself  in  those  in- 
accessible regions,  so  that  he  could 
not  approach  him.  The  meaning  is, 
'  I  am  also  disappointed  here.  He 
hides  himself  in  that  distant  land 
In  tlic  burning  and  impassable  wastes 
whicii  stretch  themselves  1o  an  un 
known  extent  there,  I  cannot  find 
him.  The  feet  of  mortals  cannot 
traverse  those  burning  plains,  and 
there  I  cannot  approach  him.  To 
whatever  point  of  the  compass  I  turn. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


23 


doth  work,  but  I  cannot  behold 
hitn  :  he  hideth  himself  on  the 
right  hand,  that  I  cannot  see 
him  : 

10  But  he  knoweth  the  way 
that    '  I   take  :  ichen  "   he    hath 

I  am  left  in  equal  darkness.'  What 
a  striking  description  is  this  of  the 
darkness  that  soriietinies  comes  over 
the  Christian's  soul,  prompting  to  the 
language,  '  O  that  I  knew  where  I 
might  find  him  I  That  I  could  come 
to  his  tlirone  !' 

10.  But  he  kiioiocth  the  iciiy  that  I 
take.  Marg.  "  iaicUk  vie."  That  is, 
•  I  have  tlie  utmost  confidence  in 
him.  Thougii  I  cannot  sec  him,  yet 
he  sees  me,  and  he  knows  my  integ- 
rity ;  and  whatever  men  may  say,  or 
however  they  may  misunderstand 
my  character,  yet  he  is  acquainted 
with  me,  and  I  have  tiie  fullest  con- 
fidence that  he  will  do  me  justice.' 
H  When  he  hath  tried  me.  When  he 
has  subjected  me  to  all  the  tests  of 
character  which  lie  shall  choose  to 
apply.  IT  /  shall  come  forth  as  gold. 
As  gold  that  is  tried  in  the  crucible, 
and  that  comes  forth  the  more  pure 
the  intenser  is  the  heat.  The  appli- 
cation of  fire  to  it  serves  to  separate 
every  particle  of  impurity  or  alloy, 
and  leaves  only  the  pure  metal.  tSo 
it  is  with  trials  applied  to  the  friend 
of  God  ;  and  we  may  remark  (1 .)  Thai 
all  real  piety  will  bear  any  test  that 
may  be  applied  to  it,  as  gold  will  bear 
any  degree  of  heat  without  being  in- 
jured or  destroyed.  (2.)  That  the 
eflect  of  all  trials  is  to  purify  piety, 
and  make  it  more  bright  and  valu- 
able, as  is  the  etfect  of  applying  in- 
tense heat  to  gold.  (3.)  There  is  often 
much  alloy  in  the  piety  of  a  Chris- 
tian, as  there  is  in  gold,  that  needs  to 
be  removed  by  the  fiery  trial  of  af- 
fliction. Nothing  else  will  remove  it 
but  trial,  as  nothing  will  he  so  effec- 
tual a  purifier  of  gold  as  intense  heat. 
(4.)  A  true  Clirisiian  should  not  dread 
trial.  It  will  not  hurt  him.  He  will 
be  the  more  valuable  for  his  trials,  as 
gold    is  for  the   Replication  of  heat. 


tried  me,  I  shall  come  forth  as 
gold. 

11  My  foot  hath  held  his 
steps,  his  way  have  I  kept,  and 
not  declined. 


There  is  no  danger  of  destroying  true 
piety.  It  will  live  in  the  flames,  and 
will  survive  the  raging  heat  that  shall 
yet  consume  the  world. 

11.  Mij  foot  hath  held  his  steps. 
Roberts,  in  his  Oriental  Illustrations, 
and  the  Editor  of  the  Pictorial  Bible, 
suppose  that  there  is  an  allusion  here 
to  tiie  active,  grasping  power  which 
the  Orientals  have  in  their  feet  and 
toes.  By  constant  usage  they  accus- 
tom themselves  to  make  use  of  them 
in  holding  things  in  a  manner  w-hich 
to  us  seems  almost  incredible,  and 
they  make  the  toes  perform  almost 
the  work  of  fingers.  We  bind  ours 
fast  from  early  childhood  in  our  close 
shoes,  and  they  become  useless  ex- 
cept for  tiic  purpose  of  walking.  But 
tlie  Orientals  use  theirs  diflerently. 
They  seize  upon  an  object  with  their 
toes,  and  hold  it  fast.  If  in  walking 
along  they  see  any  thing  on  the 
ground  wliich  they  desire  to  pick  up, 
instead  of  stooping  as  we  would, 
tliev  seize  it  with  their  toes,  and  lift 
it  up.  Alypuile,  a  Kandian  chief, 
was  about  to  be  beheaded.  When 
he  arrived  at  the  place  of  execution, 
he  looked  round  for  some  object  on 
which  to  seize,  and  saw  a  small 
shrub,  and  seized  it  with  his  toes, 
and  held  it  fast  in  order  to  be  firm 
while  the  executioner  did  his  oftice. 
Roberts.  So  an  Arab  in  treading 
firmly,  or  in  taking  a  determined 
stand,  seems  to  lay  hold  of,  to  grasp 
the  ground  with  his  toes,  giving  a 
fixedness  of  position  inconceivable  to 
those  whose  feet  are  cramped  by  the 
use  of  tight  shoes.  This  may  be  the 
meaning  here,  that  Job  had  fixed 
himself  firmly  in  tlie  footsteps  of  God, 
and  had  adhered  tenaciously  to  him  ; 
or,  as  it  is  rendered  by  Dr.  Good,  "  In 
his  steps  will  I  rivet  my  feet."  11  Jiiid 
not  declined.     Turned  aside. 


24 


JOB. 


12  Neither  have  i  gone  back 
from  the  commandment  of  his 
Ups ;  I  "■  have  '  esteemed  the 
words  of  his  mouth  more  than 
my  ^  necessary ybof/.  * 

12.  Neither  have  I  gone  hack.  i 
liave  not  put  away  or  rejected.  IT 
The  commandment  of  his  lips.  That 
wliich  ho  has  spoken,  or  which  has 
proceeded  out  of  his  mouth.  IF  I  have 
esteemed.  Marg.  hid,  or,  laid  vp. 
The  Heh.  is,  '  I  have  liid,'  as  we  liide 
or  lay  up  that  which  is  valuable.  It 
is  a  word  often  applied  to  laying  up 
treasures,  or  concealing  them  so  that 
they  would  be  safe.  IT  More  than  my 
necessary  food.  Marg. '  or,  appointed 
portion.'  Dr.  Good  renders  it,  "  In 
my  bosom  have  I  laid  up  the  words 
of  his  mouth."  So  Noyes,  "The 
words  of  his  mouth  I  have  treasured 
up  in  my  bosom."  So  VVemyss  ;  and 
so  it  is  rendered  in  the  Vulgate,  and 
by  the  LXX.  The  variety  in  the 
translation  has  arisen  from  the  differ- 
ence of  reading  in  regard  to  the  He- 
brew word  '^|5'7?.  Instead  of  this 
meaning  'more  than  my  portion  '  or 
'allowance,'  the  Sept.  and  Vulgate 
appear  to  have  read  "^I^^IS — in  my  bo- 
som. But  there  is  no  authority  for 
the  change,  and  there  seems  to  be  no 
reason  for  it.  The  word  pH,  hhoq, 
means  something  decreed,  designat- 
ed, appointed  ;  then  an  appointed 
portion,  as  of  labor,  Ex.  v.  ]4  ;  then 
of  food — an  allowance  of  food,  Prov. 
XXX.  8 ;  then  a  limit,  bound,  law, 
statute.  Sac.  It  seems  to  me  that  the 
word  here  means  purpose,  intention, 
rule,  or  dcsig7i,  and  that  the  idea  is, 
that  he  had  regarded  the  commands 
of  God  more  thaji  his  own  purposes. 
He  had  been  willing  to  sacrifice  his 
own  designs  to  the  will  of  God,  and 
had  thus  shown  his  preference  for 
God  and  his  law.  This  sense  seems 
to  be  the  most  simple  of  any,  and  it 
is  surprising  that  it  has  not  occurred 
to  any  expositors.  So  the  same  word 
is  used  in  ver.  14.  If  this  be  the 
meaning,  it  expresses  a  true  sentiment 


13  But  he  is  in  one  jmnd,  and 
who  can  turn  him  ?  and  7chat 
his  soul  desireth,  even  that  he 
doeth. 

a  Vs.  19.  9, 10.  1  hid,  or,  laid  up. 

2  or,  appointed  portion.  J  Je.  15.  IG. 

of  piety  in  all  ages.  He  vs'ho  is  truly 
religious  is  willing  to  sacrifice  and 
abandon  his  own  plans  at  the  com- 
mand of  God.  Job  says  that  he  was 
conscious  of  having  done  this,  and  he 
tlius  had  a  firm  conviction  that  ho 
was  a  pious  man. 

13.  But  he  is  in  one  mind.  He  I3 
unchangeable.  He  has  formed  his 
plans,  and  no  one  can  divert  him 
from  tliem.  Of  the  trtith  of  this  senti- 
ment there  can  be  no  dispute.  The 
only  difficulty  in  the  case  is  to  see 
why  Jo!)  adverted  to  it  here,  and  how 
it  bears  on  the  train  of  thought  which 
he  was  pursuing.  The  idea  seems 
to  be,  that  God  was  now  accomplish- 
ing his  eternal  purposes  in  respect  to 
him  ;  that  he  had  formed  a  plan  fai 
back  in  eternal  ages,  and  that  that 
plan  must  be  executed  ;  that  he  was 
a  Sovereign,  and  that  however  mys- 
terious his  plans  might  be,  it  was 
vain  to  contend  with  them,  and  that 
man  ought  to  submit  to  their  execu- 
tion with  patience  and  resignation 
Job  expected  yet  that  God  would 
come  forth  and  vindicate  him  ;  but  at 
present  all  that  he  could  do  was  to 
submit.  He  did  not  pretend  to  un- 
derstand the  reason  of  the  divine  dis- 
pensations :  he  felt  that  he  had  no 
power  to  resist  God.  The  language 
iiere  is  that  of  a  man  who  is  perplexed 
in  regard  to  the  divine  dealings,  but 
who  feels  that  they  are  all  in  accord 
ancc  with  the  unchangeable  ])urp().se 
of  God.  IT  J}nd  what  his  soul  desireth 
even  that  he  doeth.  He  does  what  ho 
pleases.  None  can  resist  or  control 
him.  It  is  vain,  therefore,  to  contend 
against  him.  From  this  passage  we 
see  that  the  doctrine  of  divine  sove- 
reignty was  understood  at  a  very 
early  age  of  the  world,  and  entered 
undoubtedly  into  the  religion  of  tho 
patriarchs.  It  was  then  seen  and 
felt  that  God  was  absolu<e;  that  he 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


14  For  he  performeth  the 
thing  that  is  appointed  "  for  me  : 
and  many  such  things  are  with 
him. 


was  not  dependent  on  his  creaturns  ; 
tliat  he  acted  according  to  a  plan  ;  that 
he  was  inflexible  in  regard  to  that 
plan,  and  that  it  was  in  vain  to  attempt 
to  resist  its  execution.  It  is,  wlien 
properly  understood,  a  matter  of  un- 
speakable consolation  that  God  has  a 
plan — for  who  could  honor  a  God  who 
had  HO  plan,  but  who  did  everything  by 
hap-hazard  ?  It  is  matter  of  rejoicing 
that  he  has  one  great  purpose  which 
extends  through  all  ages,  and  which 
embraces  all  things — for  then  every 
thing  falls  into  its  proper  place,  and 
has  its  appropriate  bearing  on  other 
events.  It  is  a  matter  of  joy  that  God 
does  execute  all  his  purposes  ;  for  as 
they  are  all  good  and  wise,  it  is  desi- 
rable tiiat  they  should  be  executed. 
ft  would  be  a  calamity  if  a  good  plan 
were  not  executed.  Why  then 
sliould  men  murmur  at  the  purposes 
or  the  decrees  of  God  .' 

14.  For  he  performeth  the  thing 
tliat  is  appointed  for  me.  '  I  am  now 
meeting  only  what  has  been  deter- 
mined by  his  eternal  plan.  I  know 
not  what  is  the  reason  why  it  was 
appointed  ;  but  I  see  that  God  had 
resolved  to  do  it,  and  that  it  is  vain 
to  resist  him.'  So  when  we  suffer, 
we  may  say  the  same  thing.  It  is 
not  by  chance  or  hap-hazard  that  we 
arc  afflicted  ;  it  is  because  God  has 
"  appointed  "  that  it  should  be  so.  It 
is  not  by  passion  or  caprice  on  his 
part ;  not  by  sudden  anger  or  wrath  ; 
but  it  is  because  he  had  determined 
to  do  it  as  a  part  of  liis  eternal  plan. 
It  is  much,  when  we  are  afflicted,  to 
be  al)le  to  make  this  reflection.  I 
had  rather  be  afflicted,  feeling  that  it 
is  thr  appointment  of  God,  than  feel- 
ing that  it  is  by  chance  or  hap-hazard. 
I  had  rather  think  that  it  is  a  part  of 
a  plan  calmly  and  deliberately  formed 
by  God,  than  that  it  is  the  result  of 
some  unexpected  and  uncontrollable 
cause.      In   the  one  case,   I    see  that 


15  Therefore  am  I  troubled 
at  his  presence  :  when  I  consid- 
er, I  am  afraid  *  of  him. 

a  ITU.  3.3.  6Pa.  119.  100. 

mind  and  thought  and  plan  have 
been  employed,  and  I  infer  that  there 
is  a  reason  for  it,  thongli  I  cannot  see 
it ;  in  the  other,  I  can  see  no  proof 
of  reason  or  of  wisdom,  and  my  miiul 
finds  no  rest.  The  doctrine  ot  divine 
purposes  or  decrees,  therefore,  is  etui- 
nently  adapted  to  give  consolation  to 
a  sufferer.  I  had  infinitely  rather  be 
under  the  operation  of  a  plan  or  de- 
cree where  there  7nay  be  a  reason  fi>r 
all  that  is  done,  though  I  cannot  see 
it,  than  to  feel  that  I  am  subject  to 
the  tossings  of  blind  chance,  where 
there  can  possibly  be  no  reason.  U 
^nd  many  such  things  are  with  him. 
The  purpose  does  not  pertain  to  nic 
alone.  It  is  a  part  of  a  great  plan 
which  extends  to  others — to  ail 
things.  He  is  executing  his  plans 
around  nie,  and  I  should  not  com- 
plain that  in  the  development  of  his 
vast  purposes  I  am  included,  and  that 
I  suffer.  The  idea  seems  to  be  this, 
that  Job  found  consolation  in  the  be- 
lief that  he  was  not  alone  in  these 
circumstances;  that  he  had  not  been 
marked  out  and  selected  as  a  speci:il 
object  of  divine  displeasure.  Others 
had  suffered  in  like  manner.  There 
were  many  cases  just  like  his  own, 
and  why  should  he  complain  .■"  If  1 
felt  that  there  was  special  displeasure 
against  me  ;  that  no  others  were  treat- 
ed in  the  same  way,  it  would  make 
afflictions  ir  uch  more  difficult  to  bear. 
But  when  1  feel  that  there  is  an  eter- 
nal plan  wliich  embraces  all,  and  thai 
I  only  con^e  in  for  my  sh4re,  in  com- 
mon with  others,  of  the  calamities 
which  ar  judged  necessary  for  the 
world,  I  can  bear  them  with  much 
more  ease  and  patience. 

15.  Therefore  am  I  troubled  at  his 
presence.  The  doctrine  of-  divine 
purposes  and  decrees  is  fitted  to  im- 
press the  mind  icith  aice.  So  vast  are 
the  plans  of  God  ;  so  uncertain  to  us 
is  it  what  will  be  developed  next;  so 


26 


JOB. 


16  For  God  maketh  my  heart 
soft,  and  the  Almighty  troubleth 


impossible  is  it  to  resist  God  vvlien  he 
comes  forth  to  execute  his  plans,  tiiat 
they  fill  the  mind  with  reverence  and 
fear.  And  this  is  one  of  the  objects 
for  which  the  doctrine  is»revealed.  It 
is  designed  to  rebuke  the  soul  that  is 
filled  with  flippancy  and  self-conceit; 
to  impress  the  heart  with  adoring 
views  of  God,  and  to  secure  a  proper 
reverence  for  his  government.  Not 
knowing  what  may  be  the  next  de- 
velopment of  his  plan,  the  mind 
should  be  in  a  state  of  holy  fear — yet 
ready  to  submit  and  bow  in  whatever 
aspect  his  purposes  may  be  made 
known.  A  Being,  who  lias  an  eter- 
nal plan,  and  who  is  able  to  accom- 
plish all  that  he  purposes,  and  who 
makes  known  none  of  his  dealings 
beforehand,  should  be  an  object  of 
veneration  and  fear.  It  will  not  be 
the  sams  hind  of  dreadful  fear  which 
v/e  would  have  of  one  who  had  al- 
mighty power,  but  who  had  no  plan 
of  any  kind,  but  profound  veneration 
for  one  who  is  infinitely  wise  as  well 
as  almighty.  The  fear  of  an  Al- 
mighty Being,  who  has  an  eternal 
plan,  which  we  cannot  doubt  is  wise, 
though  it  is  inscrutable  to  us,  is  a  fear 
mingled  with  confidence  ;  it  is  awe 
leading  to  the  profoundest  venera- 
tion. His  eternal  counsels  may  take 
away  our  comforts,  but  they  are 
right;  his  coming  forth  may  fill  us 
with  awe,  but  we  shall  -n  cnerate  and 
love  him.  TI  When  I coin-der.  When 
I  endeavor  to  understand  liis  deal- 
ings ;  or  when  I  think  closely  on 
them.  IT  I  am  afraid  of  hn.  This 
would  he  the  efiect  on  an^  mind.  A 
man   that    will  sit  down    ulone  and 


17  Because  I  was  not  cut  off 
before  the  darkness,  ncit]ii:r  hath 
he  covered  the  darkness  from  m^ 
face. 


think  of  God,  and  on  his  vast  plans, 
will  see  that  there  is  abundant  occa- 
sion to  be  in  awe  before  liim. 

16.  For  God  vialeth  my  heart  soft 
That  is,  faint.  He  takes  away  my 
strength.  Comp.  Notes  on  Isa.  vii 
4.  This  efiect  was  produced  on  Job 
by  the  contemplation  of  the  eternal 
plan  and  the  power  of  God. 

17.  Because  1 2cas  not  cut  off  before 
the  darkness.  Before  these  calami 
tics  came  upon  me.  Because  I  wa» 
not  taken  away  in  the  midst  of  pros- 
perityj  and  while  I  was  enjoying  his 
smiles  and  the  proofs  of  his  love. 
His  trouble  is,  that  he  was  spared  to 
pass  through  these  trials,  and  to  be 
treated  as  if  he  were  one  of  the  worst 
of  men.  This  is  what  now  per- 
plexes him,  and  what  he  cannot  un- 
derstand. He  does  not  know  why 
God  had  reserved  him  to  treat  him 
as  if  he  were  the  chief  of  sinners. 
II  Neither  hath  he  covered  the  dark- 
ness from  my  face.  The  word  '  neither' 
is  supplied  here  by  our  translators, 
but  not  improperly.  The  difficulty 
with  Job  was,  that  God  had  not  hid- 
den  this  darkness  and  calamity  so 
that  he  had  not  seen  it.  He  could 
not  understand  whj',  since  he  was 
his  friend,  God  had  not  taken  him 
awa}',  so  that  all  should  have  seen 
even  in  his  death  that  he  was  the 
friend  of  God.  This  feeling  is  not 
perliaps,  very  uncommon  among  those 
who  are  called  to  pass  through  trials 
They  do  not  understand  why  they 
were  reserved  to  these  sufferings,  and 
why  God  did  not  take  them  away  be- 
fore the  billows  of  calamity  rolled 
over  them. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


W 


IIY,  seeing  times  are  not 
hidden  from  the  Ahnighty, 


I.  If/iij,  sccintr  l/iiu's  arc  not  hid- 
(li  :i  from  (lie  AiiniglUij.  fJr.  Good 
ioihIlts  this, 

''  Wlicreforc  are   not  doomdays  kept  by   tlio 
Almighty, 
Po  that  Ills  offenders  may  eye  his  peiiods  ?" 

Dr.  Noyes, 

"  Wliy  are  not  times  of  punishment  reserved 
by  the  Aliriglity, 
And  why  do  not  they,  who  regard  him,  see 
liis  judgments  ?" 

.Trroine,  "  Times  arc  not  hidden 
from  the  Ahnighty;  but  they  who 
know  him  are  ignorant  of  his  days." 
The  LXX,  "  But  why  have  set 
linips — u)uai — escaped  tlie  notice — 
\'uiO<)f — of  the  Ahiiigiity,  and  the 
wirlied  transgressed  all  bounds?  The 
word  C^rn"^  here  translated  times,  is 
rendered  by  the  Chaldee  (!^^?'=3^) 
set  times,  times  appointed  for  an  as- 
sembly or  a  trial,  beforehand  desig- 
nated for  any  purpose.  The  Hebrew 
word  properly  means,  set  time,  fit 
and  proper  times  ;  and  in  tlie  plural, 
as  here  used,  means  seasons.  Est.  i. 
13.  1  Chron.  xii.  32;  and  then  vicis- 
situdes of  things,  fortunes,  destinies. 
I's  xxxi.  16.  1  Chron.  xxix.  30.  Here 
it  means,  probably,  the  vicissitudes  of 
tilings,  or  what  actually  occurs.  All 
ciianges  are  known  to  God.  He  sees 
good  and  bad  times  ;  he  sees  the 
rlianges  that  take  place  among  men. 
And  since  he  sees  all  this.  Job  asks, 
with  concern,  Why  is  it  that  God 
does  not  come  fortii  to  deal  with  men 
according  to  their  true  character .' 
That  this  was  the  fact,  he  proceeds 
to  sliow  farther  in  illustration  of  the 
position  which  he  had  maintained  in 
(  ii.  xxi,  by  specifying  a  number  of 
additional  cases  where  the  wicked 
undeniably  prospered.  It  was  this 
wliich  perplexed  him  so  much,  for 
he  did   not  doubt  that  their  conduct 


do  they  that  know  him  not  see 
hi.s  days  1 

was  clearly  known  to  God.  If  their 
conduct  had  been  unknown  to  God, 
it  would  not  have  been  a  matter  of 
surprise  that  they  should  go  unpun- 
ished. Butsince  all  their  ways  were 
clearly  seen  by  him,  it  might  wel. 
excite  inquiry  wJiy  they  wore  per- 
mitted thus  to  prosper.  He  believed 
that  they  were  reserved  to  a  future 
day  of  wrath,  ch.  xxi.  30,  ch.  xxiv 
23,  24.  Tliey  would  be  punished  in 
due  time,  but  it  was  not  a  fact  as  his 
friends  alleged,  that  they  were  pun- 
ished in  iJiis  life  according  to  their 
deeds.  IT  Do  they  that  knoio  kirn  " 
His  true  friends;  the  pious.  1!  v\oi 
see  his  days.  The  days  of  his  wrath, 
or  the  day  when  he  punishes  the 
wicked.  Why  are  they  not  per- 
mitted to  see  him  come  fortli  to 
take  vengeance  on  his  fons  .^  The 
phrase  '■his  days'  means  the  days 
when  God  would  come  forth  to  jjun- 
ish  his  enemies.  They  are  called 
'his  days,'  because  at  that  time  God 
would  be  the  prominent  object  that 
would  excite  attention.  They  would 
be  days  when  he  would  manifest 
himself  in  a  manner  so  remarkable 
as  to  characterize  the  period.  Tims 
the  day  of  judgment  is  called  tlu; 
day  '  of  the  Son  of  ]\Ian,'  or  'his 
day'  (Luke  xvii.  24),  because  at  tiial 
time  the  Lord  Jesus  will  be  the  i)ronii- 
nent  and  glorious  object  that  shall 
give  character  to  the  day.  The 
question  Jiere  seems  fo  have  been 
asked  by  Job  mainly  to  call  attention 
to  the  fact  which  lie  proceeds  to  illus- 
trate. The  fact  wa.s  undeniable 
Job  did  7iot  maintain,  as  Eliphaz  bad 
charged  on  him  (ch.  xxii.  12-14) 
that  the  reason  why  God  did  no 
punisli  them  was,  that  he  could  no 
see  their  deeds.  He  admitted  mos 
fully  that  God  did  sec  them,  and  iin 


26 


JOB. 


2  >S^oMje  remove  the  land-marks;  I  the  way;  the  poor  of  tlie  earth 
they  violently  take  away  flocks,  j  hide  themselves  together. 

and  feed  '  thereof.  \      5  Behold,  as  wild  asses  in  the 

3  They  drive  away  the  ass  of  j  desert,    go   they    forth    to    their 
the   fatherless,   they  take   "   the    work,  rising  betimes  for  a  prey 


widow's  ox  for  a  pledge, 

4  They  turn  the  needy  out  of 

1  or,  them. 

derstood  all  that  they  did.  In  this 
they  were  agreed.  Shiee  this  was 
so,  the  question  was  why  the  wicked 
were  spared,  and  lived  in  prosperity. 
The  fact  that  it  was  so,  Job  affirms. 
The  reason  wliy  it  was  so,  was  the 
subject  of  inquiry  now.  This  was 
perplexing,  and  Job  could  solve  it 
only  by  referring  to  what  was  to 
come  iiereafter. 

2.  Some  remove  the  land-marks. 
Land-marks  are  pillars  or  stones  set 
up  to  mark  the  boundaries  of  a  farm. 
To  remove  them,  by  carrying  them 
on  to  the  land  of  another,  was  an  act 
of  dishonesty  and  robbery — since  it 
was  only  by  marks  that  the  extent  of 
a  man's  property  could  be  known. 
Fences  were  uncommon  ;  the  art  of 
surveying  was  not  well  understood, 
and  deeds  describing  land  were  proba- 
bly unknown  also,  and  their  whole 
dependence,  therefore,  was  on  the 
stones  that  were  erected  to  mark  the 
boundaries  of  a  lot  or  farm.  As  it 
was  not  difficult  to  reuiove  them,  it 
became  a  matter  of  special  import- 
ance to  guard  against  it,  and  to  make 
it  a  crime  of  magnitude.  According- 
ly, it  was  forbidden  in  the  strictest 
manner  in  the  law  of  Moses.  "  Cursed 
be  he  that  removeth  his  neighbor's 
land-mark."  Deut.  xxvii.  IG.  Comp. 
Dent,  xix  14.  Prov.  xxii.  28,  xxiii. 
10.  If  And  feed  thereof  Marg.  "  or, 
them."  The  margin  is  correct.  The 
meaning  is,  that  they  drive  off  the 
flocks  of  others,  and  pasture  them  ; 
that  is,  they  are  at  no  pains  to  con- 
ceal wliat  tiiey  do,  but  mingle  them 
with  their  own  herds,  and  feed  them 
as  if  they  were  their  own.  If  they 
drove  them  away  to  kill,  and  re- 
nic^ved    them    wholly    from    visw,  it 


the  wilderness  yiddtth  food  for 
them  and  for  their  children. 


De.24.  6.  17. 


would  be  less  shameful  than  to  keep 
and  claim  them  as  their  own,  and  to 
make  the  robbery  so  public. 

3.  They  drive  away  the  ass  of  the 
fatherless.  Of  the  orphan,  who  can- 
not protect  himself,  and  whose  only 
property  may  consist  in  this  useful 
animal.  Injury  done  to  an  orphan  is 
always  regarded  as  a  crime  of  pecu- 
liar magnitude,  for  they  are  unable 
to  protect  themselves.  See  Notes, 
ch.  xxii.  9.  ir  They  take  the  widow's 
oz  for  a  pledge.  See  Notes,  ch.  xxii 
6.  The  widow  was  dependent  on 
her  ox  to  till  the  ground,  and  hence 
the  crime  of  taking  it  away  in  pledge 
for  the  payment  of  a  debt. 

4.  They  turn  the  needy  out  of  the 
way.  They  crowd  the  poor  out  of 
the  path,  and  thus  oppress  and  injure 
them.  They  do  not  allow  them  the 
advantages  of  the  highway.  'I  llie 
poor  of  the  earth  hide  themselves  to- 
gether. For  fear  of  the  rich  and 
mighty  man.  Driven  from  the  society 
of  the  rich,  without  their  patronage 
and  friendship,  they  are  obliged  to 
associate  together,  and  find  in  the 
wicked  man  neither  j)rotector  nor 
friend.  And  yet  the  proud  oppressor 
is  not  punished. 

5.  Behold,  as  7cild  asses  in  the  desert. 
In  regard  to  the  wild  ass,  see  Notes 
on  ch.  vi.  5.  Schulten.«,  Good,  Noyes, 
and  Wemy.ss,  understand  this,  not  as 
referring  to  the  haughty  tyrants  them- 
selves, but  to  the  oppressed  and 
needy  wretches  whom  they  had 
driven  from  societ}',  and  compelled 
to  seek  a  precarious  subsistence,  like 
the  wild  ass,  in  the  desert.  They 
suppose  that  the  meaning  is,  that 
these  outcasts  go  to  their  daily  toil 
seeking  roots   and  vegetable!    in  the 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


29 


0  They  reap  every  one  his 
'  corn  ill  the  tield,  ;uid  "they  gu- 
sher the  viiitngc  of  the  wicked. 

7  They  cause  tlie  naked  to 
lodge  without  clothing,  that  they 

1  mingled  corn,  or,  dredge. 

desert  for  a  subsistence,  hke  wild 
animals.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  tiie 
reference  is  rather  to  another  class  of 
wicked  men  :  to  the  wandering  tribes 
that  live  by  jilunder — who  roam 
through  the  deserts,  and  live  an  un- 
restrained and  a  lawless  life,  like 
wild  animals.  The  wild  ass  is  dis- 
tinguished for  its  fieetness,  and  the 
comparison  liere  turns  principally  on 
this  fut.  These  marauders  move  ra- 
pidly from  place  to  place,  make  their 
assault  suddeiily  and  unexpectedly, 
and,  having  plundered  the  traveller, 
or  the  caravan,  as  suddenly  disappear. 
They  have  no  home,  cultivate  no 
land,  and  keep  no  flocks.  Tiie  only 
objection  to  this  interpretation  is,  that 
the  wild  ass  is  not  a  beast  of  prey. 
But,  in  reply  to  this,  it  may  be  said, 
lliat  the  comparison  does  not  depend 
on  that,  but  on  the  fact  that  they  re- 
semble those  animals  in  their  lawless 
habits  of  life.  See  IVotes  on  ch.  .\i. 
12,  xxxix.  5.  U  Go  tlieij  forth  to  their 
icork.  To  their  employment — to  wit, 
plunder.  TI  Rising  betimes.  Rising 
early.  It  is  a  custom  of  the  Orientals 
3very  where  to  rise  by  break  of  day. 
In  journeys,  they  usually  rise  long 
before  day,  and  travel  much  in  the 
night,  and  during  the  heat  of  the  day 
they  rest.  As  caravans  often  tra- 
velled early,  plunderers  would  rise 
early,  also,  to  meet  them.  IT  For  a 
prey.  For  plunder — the  business  of 
their  lives.  U  The  wilderness.  The 
desert,  for  so  the  word  wilderness  is 
used  in  the  Scriptures.  See  Notes  on 
Isa.  XXXV.  1.  Matth.  iii.  1.  IT  Yieldeth 
food.  To  wit,  by  plunder.  They 
obtain  Fubsistence  for  themselves  and 
thei?  iaaiilies  by  plundering  the  car- 
avaPii  <.f  the  desert.  The  idea  of 
Job  ii,  ihat  they  are  seen  by  God,  and 
yet  tl"-i  llicy  are  suftered  to  roam  at 
large. 


have  no  covering  in  the  cold. 

8  They  are  wet  with  the 
shower.s  of  the  mountains,  and 
embrace  "  the  rock  for  want  of  a 
shelter. 

2  the  wicked  gather  the  vintage,     a  La,  4.  5. 

6-  Theij  reap  every  one  his  corn. 
Marg.  mingled  corn,  or  dredge.  The 
word  here  used  (-'''?3)  denotes,  pro- 
perly, meslin,  mixed  jjrovender,  made 
up  of  various  kinds  of  grain,  as  of 
barley,  vetches,  etc.,  prepared  for 
cattle.  See  Notes  on  Isa.  xxx.  24. 
IT  In  the  field.  They  break  in  upon 
the  fields  of  others,  and  rob  them  of 
their  grain,  instead  of  cultivating  the 
earth  themselves.  So  it  is  rendered 
by  Jerome — Agrum  non  suum  deme- 
runt;  et  vineam  ejus,  quem  vi  op- 
presserint  vindcmiant.  The  LXX 
render  it  "  A  field,  not  their  own, 
they  reap  down  before  the  time — ttoo 
woaq.  n  Theij  gather  the  vintage  of 
the  wicked.  Marg.  the  icickcd  gather 
the  vintage.  Rather,  tiiey  gather  the 
vintage  of  the  oppressor.  It  is  not 
the  vintage  of  honest  industry  ;  not 
a  harvest  which  is  the  result  of  their 
own  labor,  but  of  plunder.  They 
live  by  depredations  on  others.  This 
is  descriptive  of  those  who  support 
themselves  by  robbery. 

7.  Theij  cause  the  naked  to  lodge 
zvithout  clothing.  They  strip  otiiers 
of  their  clothing,  and  leave  them  des- 
titute. IT  That  they  have  no  covering 
in  the  cold.  All  travellers  toll  us, 
that  though  the  day  is  intensely  hot  in 
the  deserts  of  Arabia,  yet  tlie  nights 
are  often  intensely  cold.  Hence,  the 
sufferings  of  those  who  are  plundered, 
and"  who  have  nothing  to  defend 
themselves  from  the  cold  air  of  the 
night. 

8.  They  are  wet  tcith  the  showers 
of  the  mountains.  That  is,  the  poor 
persons,  or  the  travellers,  whom  they 
have  robbed.  Hills  collect  the  clouds, 
and  showers  seem  to  pour  down  from 
tiie  mountains.  These  showers  often 
collect  and  pour  down  so  suddenly 
that  there  is  scarcely  time  to  seek  a 


30 


JOB. 


0  Tbey  pluck  the  fatherless 
from  tl:e  breast,  and  take  a 
pledge  of  the  poor. 

lU  Tliey  cause  liim  to  go 
naked  without  clothing,  and  they 

shelter.  IT  Jind  embrace  the  rock  for 
want  of  a  shelter.  Take  refuge  be- 
neath a  projecting  rock.  The  rob- 
bers drive  them  away  from  their 
Jiomcs,  or  plunder  them  of  their  tents, 
and  leave  them  to  find  a  shelter  from 
the  storm,  or  at  night,  beneath  a 
rock.  This  agrees  exactly  with  what 
Niebuhr  says  of  the  wandering  Arabs 
near  Mount  Sinai :  "  Those  who  can- 
not afford  a  tent,  spread  out  a  cloth 
upon  four  or  six  stakes  ;  and  others 
spread  their  cloth  near  a  tree,  or  en- 
deavor to  shelter  themselves  from 
the  heat  and  the  rain  in  the  cavities 
of  tiie  rocks.  Reisebeschreib.  i.  Th. 
s.  233. 

9.  They  pluck  the  fatherless  from 
the  breast.  That  is,  they  steal  away 
unprotected  children,  and  sell  them, 
or  make  slaves  of  them  for  their  own 
use.  If  this  is  the  correct  interpreta- 
tion, then  there  existed  at  that  time, 
what  has  existed  since,  so  much  to 
the  disgrace  of  mankind,  the  custom 
of  kidnapping  children,  and  bearing 
them  away  to  be  sold  as  slaves.  Sla- 
very existed  in  early  ages  ;  and  it 
must  have  been  in  some  such  way 
that  slaves  were  procured.  The 
wonder  of  Job  is,  that  such  men  were 
permitted  to  live — that  God  did  not 
come  forth  and  punish  them.  The 
fact  still  exists,  and  the  ground  of 
wonder  is  not  diminished.  Africa 
bleeds  under  .wrongs  of  this  kind  ; 
and  the  vengeance  of  heaven  seems 
to  sleep,  though  the  child  is  torn 
away  from  its  mother,  and  conveyed, 
amid  many  horrors,  to  a  distant  land, 
to  wear  out  life  in  hopeless  servitude. 
II  And  take  a  pledge  of  the  poor.  Take 
that,  therefore,  which  is  necessary 
for  the  comfort  of  the  poor,  and  re- 
tain it,  so  that  they  cannot  enjoy  its 
use.     See  IVotes  on  ch,  xxii.  6. 

10.  Jl7id  they  lake  away  the  sheaf 
from  the  hungry.     The   meaning  of 


take   away   the   sheaf  from   the 
hungry  ; 

1 1  Which  made  oil  -within 
their  walls,  and  tread  thrir  wine- 
presses, and  suffer  thirst. 


this  is,  that  tlie  hungry-  are  compelled 
to  bear  the  sheaf  for  the  rich  without 
being  allowed  to  satisfy  their  hunger 
from  it.  Moses  commanded  that 
even  the  ox  should  not  be  muzzled 
that  trod  out  the  corn  (Deut.  x.w.  4)  ; 
but  here  was  more  aggravated  cruelty 
than  that  would  be,  in  compelling 
men  to  bear  the  sheaf  of  the  harvest 
without  allowing  tlrem  even  to  satis- 
fy their  hunger.  This  is  an  instance 
of  the  cruelty  which  Job  says  was  ac- 
tually practised  on  the  earlli,  and  yet 
God  did  not  interpose  to  punish  it. 

11.  Which  made  oil  within  their 
walls.  Or  rather,  they  compel  them 
to  express  oil  within  their  walls. 
The  word  ^"i"^"!^-,  rendered  '  made 
oil,'   is  from   ^^1^,  to  shine,  to  give 

light  ;  and  hence  the  derivatives  of 
the  word  are  used  to  denote  liglit, 
and  then  oil,  and  thence  the  word 
comes  to  denote  to  press  out  oil  for 
the  purpose  of  light.  Oil  was  "ob- 
tained for  this  purpose  from  olives  by 
pressing  them,  and  the  idea  here  is, 
that  the  jjoor  were  compelled  to  en- 
gage in  this  service  for  others  with- 
out compensation.  The  expression 
'  within  their  walls,'  means  probably 
within  the  walls  of  the  rich  ;  that  is, 
within  the  inclosures  where  such 
presses  wore  erected.  They  were 
taken  away  from  their  homes  ;  com- 
pelled to  toil  for  others  ;  and  confin- 
ed for  this  purpose  within  inclosures 
erected  for  the  purpose  of  expressing 
oil.  Some  have  proposed  to  read 
this  passage,  "Between  their  walls 
they  make  then)  toil  at  noonday  ;''  as 
if  it  referred  to  the  cruelty  of  causing 
them  to  labor  in  the  sweUering  heat 
of  the  sun.  But  the  former  interpre- 
tation is  the  most  common,  and  best 
agrees  with  the  usual  meaning  of  tiie 
word,  and  with  tiie  connection.  IT 
And  tread  ibe'iv  icine-presscs  and  siif 


CHAPTER  XXiV. 


31 


12  Men  groun  from  out  of  the 
city,  and  the  soul  of  the  wound- 
ed crieth  out  :  yet  God  layeth 
not  folly  to  t/ir/ii. 

fer  thirst.  TIkv  compel  tlu'in  to 
tread  out  tlioir  grsipes  without  allow- 
ing them  to  slake  tlieir  thirst  from 
the  wine.  Such  a  treatment  would, 
of  course,  bo  cruel  oppression.  A 
similar  description  is  given  by  Addi- 
son in  his  letter  from  Italy  : 

II  povreo  Abitante  mira  indarno 
II  rosoggianto  Arancio  e'l  piiigue  grano, 
C'rescer  (iolente  ei  mira  ed  oli,  e  vini, 
E  do  mirti  odorar  1'  ombra  si  sdegna. 
In  mezzo  alia  Botita  della  Natura 
Maledetto  lauguisce,  e  deatro  a  cariche 
Di  vino  vigne  muore  per  la  seto. 

"  The  poor  inhabitant  beholds  in  vain 
The    reddening    orange    and    the    swelling 

grain  ; 
Joyless  lie  sees  the  growing  oils  and  wines, 
Aud  in  the  myrtle's  fragrant  shade  repines  ; 
Star\es,   in   the   midst  of  nature's   bounty 
curst, 
*    And  in  the  loaden  vineyard  dies  for  thirst." 

Addison's  works,  vol.  i.  pp.  51-53. 
Ed.  Lond.  1721. 

12.  Men  groan  from  out  of  the  city. 
The  evident  meaning  of  this  is,  that 
the  sorrows  caused  by  oppression 
were  not  confined  to  the  deserts  and 
to  solitary  places  ;  were  not  seen 
only  where  the  wandering  freebooter 
seized  upon  the  traveller,  or  in  the 
comparatively  unfrequented  places  in 
the  country  where  the  poor  were 
compelled  to  labor  in  the  vvine-press- 
cs  and  the  olive-presses  of  others, 
but  that  they  extended  to  cities  also. 
In  what  way  this  oppression  in  cities 
was  practised.  Job  does  not  specify. 
It  might  be  by  the  sudden  descent 
upon  an  unsuspecting  city,  of  hordes 
of  freebooters,  who  robbed  and  mur- 
dered the  inhabitants,  and  then  fled, 
or  it  might  be  by  internal  oppression, 
as  of  the  rich  over  the  poor,  or  of 
masters  over  their  slaves.  The  idea 
which  Job  seems  to  wish  to  convey 
IS,  that  oppression  abounded.  The 
earth  was  full  of  violence.  It  was  in 
every  place,  in  the  city  and  the  coun- 
try, and  yet  God  did  not  in  fact  come 
fortii  to  meet  and  punish  the  oppress- 


13  They  are  of  those  that  re- 
bel against  the  light ;  they  know 
not  the  ways  thereof,  nor  abide 
in  the  paths  thereof 

or  as  he  deserved.  There  would  be 
instances  of  oppression  and  cruelty 
enough  occurring  in  all  cities  to  jus- 
tify all  that  Job  here  says,  especially 
in  ancient  times,  when  cities  were 
under  the  control  of  tyrants.  The 
word  which  is  translated  vicn  here  is 
^'^r'^^  wliich  is  not  the  usual  term  to 
denote  men.  This  word  is  derived 
from  r^ns,  to  die;  and  hence  there 
may  be  here  the  notion  of  mortals, 
or  of  the  dying.,  who  utter  these 
groans.  TI  And  the  soul  of  the  wounded 
crieth  out.  This  expression  appears 
as  if  Job  referred  to  some  acts  of  vio- 
lence done  by  robbers,  and  perhaps 
the  whole  description  is  intended  to 
apply  to  the  sufferings  caused  by  the 
sudden  descent  of  a  band  of  marau- 
ders upon  the  unsuspecting  and  slum- 
bering inhabitants  of  a  city.  IT  Yet 
God  layeth  not  folly  to  them.  The 
word  rendered  folly  (n^SPl)  means 
folly  ;  and  thence  also  wickedness. 
If  this  reading  is  to  be  retained,  the 
passage  means  that  God  does  not  lay 
to  heart,  that  is,  does  not  regard  their 
folly  or  wickedness.  He  suffers  it  to 
pass  without  punishing  it.  Cornp. 
Acts  xvii.  30.  But  the  same  word, 
by  a  change  of  the  points,  (t^i:Sri), 
means  prayer ;  and  many  have  sup- 
posed that  it  means,  that  God  does 
not  regard  the  prayer  or  cry  of  those 
who  are  thus  oppressed.  This,  in 
itself,  would  make  good  sense,  but 
the  former  rendering  agrees  better 
with  the  connection.  The  object  of 
Job  is  not  to  show  that  God  does  not 
regard  the  cry  of  the  afflicted,  but 
that  he  does  not  interpose  to  punish 
those  who  are  tyrants  and  oppressors. 
13.  They  are  of  those  that  rebel 
against  the  light.  That  is,  they  hate 
the  light.  Cornp.  John  iii.  20.  It  is 
unpleasant  to  them, and  they  perform 
their  deeds  in  the  night.  Job  here 
commences    a    reference    to   another 


32 


JOB. 


14  The  "  murderer  rising  with 
the  light  killeth  the  poor  and 
needy,  and  in  the  night  is  as  a 
thief. 

15  The  eye  also  of  the  adul- 
terer vvaiteth  for  the  twilight,  ' 

aPs.  10.  8-11.       6Pr.  7.  8.  9.       lsettct?ihis 
face  in.  secret.        e  Jno.  8.  QO. 

chiss  of  wicked  persons — those  wlio 
perform  their  deeds  in  the  darkness 
of  tlie  night  ;  and  he  shows  that  the 
same  thing  is  true  of  them  as  of  those 
who  commit  crimes  in  open  day,  that 
God  does  not  interpose  directly  to 
punish  them.  They  are  suffered  to 
live  in  prosperity.  Tliis  should  be 
rendered,  '  Others  hate  the  light ;'  or, 
'  There  are  those  also  wl)o  are  rebel- 
lious against  the  light."  There  is 
great  force  in  the  declaration,  that 
those  who  perform  deeds  of  wicked- 
ness in  the  night  are  rebels  against 
the  light  of  day.  IT  They  knoto  not 
the  icays  thereof.  They  do  not  see 
it.  They  work  in  the  night.  IT  A''or 
abide  in  the  paths  thereof.  In  the 
paths  that  the  light  makes.  They 
seek  out  paths  on  which  the  light 
does  not  shine 

14.  The  murderer.  One  of  the  in- 
stances referred  to  in  the  previous 
verse  of  those  who  perform  their 
deeds  in  darkness.  IT  Rising  with  the 
light.  Heb.  nixb.  Vulg.  JV/«na  pri- 
nno — in  the  earliest  twilight.  The 
meaning  is,  that  he  does  it  very  ear- 
ly ;  by  daybreak.  It  is  not  in  open 
(?ay,  but  a*  the  earliest  dawn.  II  Kill- 
eth the  poor  aiid  needy.  Those  who 
are  so  poor  and  needy  that  they  are 
obliged  to  rise  early  and  go  forth  to 
llieir  toil.  There  is  a  double  aggra- 
vation— the  crime  of  murder  itself, 
and  the  fact  that  it  is  committed  on 
those  who  are  under  a  necessity  of 
going  forth  at  that  early  hour  to  their 
labor.  TT  Jind  in  the  night  is  as  a  \ 
thief.  The  same  man.  Theft  is 
usually  committed  under  cover  of  the 
night.  The  idea  of  Job  is,  that 
though  these  crimes  cannot  escape 
the  notice  of  God,  yet  that  he  does 
not   interpose  to  punish   those   who 


saying  no  eye  shall  see  me  :  and 
'  disguiseth  his  face. 

1(3  In  the  dark  they  dig 
through  houses,  ichicli  they  had 
marked  for  themselves  in  the 
day-time  :  they  "  know  not  the 
light. 

committed  them.  A  striking  inci- 
dental illustration  of  the  fact  stated 
here,  occurred  in  the  journey  of 
Messrs.  Robinson  and  Smith,  on  their 
way  from  Akabah  to  Jerusalem. 
After  retiring  to  rest  one  night,  they 
were  aroused  by  a  sudden  noise  ;  and 
they  apprehended  an  attack  by  rob- 
bers. "Our  Arabs,"  says  Dr.  R., 
"  were  evidently  alarmed.  They 
said,  if  thieves,  they  would  steal  upon 
us  at  midnight  ;  if  robbers.,  they  icould 
come  down  upon  us  towards  morning.''^ 
Bibl.  Research,  i.  270.  It  would 
seem,  therefore,  that  there  was  some 
settled  time  or  order  in  which  they  ' 
are  accustomed  to  commit  their  va- 
rious depredations. 

15.  The  eye  also  of  the  adulterer 
loaiteth  for  the  twilight.  Conip.  the 
description  in  Prov.  vii.  8,  !),  "  He 
went  the  way  to  her  house  ;  in  the 
twilight,  in  the  evening,  in  the  black 
and  dark  night."  U  ^nd  disguiseth 
his  face  Marg.  settcth  his  face  in  se- 
cret. The  meaning  is,  that  he  put  a 
mask  on  his  face,  lest  he  should  be 
recognized.  So  Juvenal,  Sat.  viii. 
144,  as  quoted  by  Noyes  : 

si  iiocturniii?  adulter 

Tcmpora  Santonico  velas  ailopcrta  JUCuUo. 

These  deeds  of  wickedness  were  then 
performed  in  the  night,  as  they  arc 
still  ;  and  yet,  though  the  eye  of  God 
beheld  them,  lie  did  not  punish  them. 
The  meaning  of  Job  is,  that  men 
were  allowed  to  commit  the  blackest 
crimes,  but  that  God  did  not  come 
forth  to  cut  them  ofl'. 

16.  In  the  dark  they  dig  through 
houses.  This  refers,  probably,  to 
another  class  of  wicked  persons. 
The  adulterer  steals  forth  in  the  night, 
but  it  is  not  liis  way  to  '  dig'  into 
houses.      But  the  persons  here  refei 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


33 


red  to  are  robbers;,  wlio  conceal  tiiem- 
sclves  by  tluy,  and  who  at  night  se- 
cretly enter  houses  for  plunder.  Tlie 
phrase  '  dig  throiigli'  probably  lias  re- 
ference to  the  fact  that  liouses  were 
made  of  clay,  or  of  bricks  dried  in 
tiie  sun — a  species  of  mud  cottages, 
and  whose  walls,  therefore,  could  be 
easily  penetrated.  In  the  East,  nearly 
ail  the  houses  are  made  of  unburnt 
brii'l<,  and  tliere  is  little  ditficulty  in 
making    a    liole    in    the    wall    large 


enough  to  admit  the  human  body. 
Comp  Ezek.  xii.  7.  In  Bengal,  says 
Mr.  Ward,  it  is  common  for  thieves 
to  dig  through  the  walls  of  hou.ses 
made  of  mud,  or  under  the  house- 
floors,  which  are  made  merely  of 
earth,  and  enter  thus  into  the  dwell- 
ings while  the  inmates  are  asleep. 
RosenmOller's  Alte  u.  neue  Morgen- 
land  in  loc.  The  following  cut  will 
furnish  a  good  illustration  of  such  a 
house  : 


IT  Wliich  they  had  marhe.d  for  them- 
selves in  the  day-time.  According  to 
this  translation  the  idea  would  be, 
that  in  the  day-time  they  carefully 
observed  houses,  and  saw  where  an 


entrance  might  be  effected.  But  tins 
interpretation  seems  contrary  to  the 
general  sense  of  the  passage.  It  is 
said  that  they  avoid  the  light,  and 
that  the  night  is  the  time  for  accom- 


34 


JOB. 


17  For  the  morning  is  to 
them  even  as  the  shadow  of 
death  ;  if  one  know  ihctn,  they 
arc  in  the  terrors  "  of  the  slia- 
dow  of  death. 

plishing  their  purposes.  Probably, 
therefore,  the  nieiining  of  this  pas- 
sage is,  'in  the  chiy  time  they  sliut 
themselves  up.'  So  it  is  rendered 
by  Gesenius,  RosenmilUer,  Noyes, 
and  others.  The  word  here  used,  and 
rendered  '■marked^  (SHtl),  nieanft  io 
5e«/,  to  seal  up  ;  and  hence  the  idea 
of  shutting  up,  or  making  fast.  See 
Notes  on  Job  ix.  7.  Isa.  viii.  17. 
Hence  it  may  mean  to  shut  up  dose^ 
as  if  one  was  locked  in  ;  and  the 
idea  iiere  is,  tiiat  in  the  day-time 
they  shut  themselves  up  close  in  their 
places  of  concealment,  and  went  forth 
ID  their  depredations  in  the  night. 
t  Tlicy  knoio  not  the  light.  They 
do  not  see  the  light.  They  do  all 
their  work  in  the  dark. 

17.  For  the  morning  is  to  them  even 
as  the  shadow  of  death.  They  dread 
tlie  light  as  one  docs  usually  the 
deepest  darkness.  The  morning  or 
light  would  reveal  their  deeds  of 
wickedness,  and  they  therefore  avoid 
it.  Tf  .45  the  shadoio  of  death.  As  the 
deepest  darkness.  See  Notes  on  cji.  iii. 
5.  ^  //"one  Aho/o  them.  If  they  are 
lecog.iiized.  Or,  more  probably,  this 
means  'they'  i.  e.  each  one  of  tlicm 
*  are  familiar  with  the  terrors  of  the 
shadow  of  death,'  or  with  the  deep- 
est darkness.  By  this  rendering  the 
common  signification  of  the  worcl 
("I'^S"!)  will  be  retained,  and  the 
translation  will  accord  with  the  gene- 
ral sense  of  tlie  jiassage.  The  mean- 
ing is,  that  they  are  familiar  wiih  tiie 
blackest  night.  They  do  not  dread 
it.  They  diead  only  the  light  of 
day.  To  others  the  darkness  is  ter- 
rible ;  to  them  it  is  familiar.  The 
word  rendered  '  shadow  of  death'  in 
the  latter  \rav\.  of  this  verse,  is  the 
same  as  in  the  former.  It  may  mean 
in  both  places  the  gloomy  night  that 
resembles  the  shadow  of  death.  Such 


18  He  is  swift  as  the  waters ; 
their  portion  is  cursed  in  the. 
earth  :  he  beholdeth  not  the  waj 
of  the  vineyards. 

a  Ps.  73. 18, 19. 


a  night  is  '  terrible'  to  most  men  ;  t% 
them  it  is  familiar,  and  they  feel  se 
cure  only  when  its  deep  shades  arj 
round  about  them. 

18.  He  is  sinift  as  the  waters.  Noye» 
renders  this,  "  They  are  as  swifi, 
as  the  skiff  upon  the  waters."  Dr 
Good,  "  Miserable  is  this  man  upor 
The  waters  "  Wemyss,  "  Such  should 
be  as  foam  upon  the  waters."  Lb 
Clerc  says  that  there  is  scarcely  an^ 
passage  of  the  Scriptures  more  ob 
scure  than  this,  and  the  variety  o' 
rendering  adopted  will  show  at  once 
the  perplexity  of  expositors.  Rosen- 
milUer supposes  that  the  particle  of 
comparison  (3)  is  to  be  understood, 
and  that  the  meaning  is,  '  he  is  as  a 
light  thing  upon  the  waters ;'  and 
this  probably  expresses  the  true 
sense.  It  is  a  comparison  of  the 
thief  with  a  light  boat,  or  any  other 
light  thing  that  moves  gently  cm  the 
face  of  the  water,  and  that  glides 
along  without  noise.  So  gently  and 
noiselessly  does  the  thief  glide  along 
in  the  dark.  He  is  rapid  in  his  mo- 
tion, but  he  is  still.  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  describe  one  who  is  about  to 
commit  crime  in  the  night  ;is  moving 
noiselessly  along,  and  as  taking  every 
precaution  that  the  utmost  silence 
should  be  preserved.  So  Macbeth, 
when  about  to  commit  murder,  solilo- 
quizes : 

Now  o'er  llie  one  half  world 

Nature  seems  dead, 

And  withcrtd  murdor, 
Alarum'd  by  liis  sentinel,  the  wolf, 
Who's  howi'd  his  watch,  thus  with  his  stealthy 

pace, 
\Vith  Tarquin's  ravishing  strides,  towards  his 

design 
Moves  like  a  ghost. 

Thou  sure  and  firm-set  earth, 
Hear  not  my  steps,  which  way  they  walk,  for 

fear 
The  very  stones  prate  of  my  whercahout. 

I  do    not  know,  however,  that  this 
comparison   of  a  thief,  wiih   a   light 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


35 


19  Drought    and    heat    '  con- 
sume the  snow-waters  ;  so  doth 


1  i-ioleiitlii  lake. 


object  on  the  w;itcrs,  is  to  be  found 
any  where  else,  but  it  is  one  of  groat 
beauty.  The  word  rendered  '  swift  ' 
(5|?)  may  denote  either  that  which 
is  swift,  or  that  which  is  light.  In 
Isa.  XXX.  16,  it  is  ajiplicd  to  a  fleet 
horse.  Here  it  may  be  rendered,  '  He 
is  as  a  light  thing  upon  the  face  of 
the  waters.'  11  Their  portion  is  cursed 
in  the  earth.  That  is,  their  manner 
of  life,  their  way  of  obtaining  a 
livelihood,  is  deserving  of  execration. 
The  result  of  humble  toil  and  honest 
labor  may  be  said  to  be  blessed  ;  but 
not  the  property  which  they  acquire. 
RoseniniiUer  and  Noyes,  however, 
suppose  that  the  word  '  portion  '  here 
refers  to  their  habitation,  and  that  the 
idea  is,  they  have  their  dwelling  in 
wild  and  uncultivated  places  ;  they 
live  in  places  that  are  cursed  by 
sterility  and  barrenness.  The  Hebrew 
will  bear  either  construction.  The 
word  lot,  as  it  is  commonly  under- 
stood by  us,  may  perhaps  embrace 
both  ideas.  'Theirs  is  a  cursed  lot 
on  earth.'  M'' He  heholdeth  not  the 
way  of  the  vineyards.  That  is,  they 
do  not  spend  their  lives  in  cultivating 
them,  nor  do  they  derive  a  subsist- 
ence from  them.  They  live  by  plun- 
der, and  their  abodes  are  in  wild  re- 
treats, far  away  from  quiet  and  civil- 
ized society.  The  object  seems  to  be 
to  describe  marauders,  who  make  a 
sudden  descent  at  night  on  the  pos- 
sessions of  others,  and  who  have 
their  dwellings  far  away  from  fields 
that  are  covered  with  the  fruits  of 
cultivation. 

19.  Drought  and  heat  consume  the 
snoic-watcrs.  Marg.  violently  take. 
See  Notes  on  ch.  vi.  17.  The  word 
rendered  'consume,'  and  in  the 
margin  'violently  take'  (^''T?'?), 
means  properly  to  strip  off",  as  skin 
from  the  flesh  ;  and  then  to  pluck  or 
tear  away  by  force  ;  to  strip,  to  spoil, 
to  rob.  The  meaning  here  is,  that 
the   heat    seems   to    seize    and   carry 


the  grave  those  ivhich  have  s'lu- 
ned. 


away  the  snow  waters — to  bear  thera 
ott",  as  a  plunderer  does  spoil.     There 
is  much  poetic  beauty  in  this  image 
Tlie    '  snow-waters  '   here   mean   the 
waters  that  are  produced  by  the  melt- 
ing of   the  snow  on    the    hills,  and 
which  swell  the  rivulets  in  the  vallies 
below.     Those  waters.  Job  says,  are 
borne  along  in  rivulets  over  the  burn- 
ing sands,  until  the  drought  and  heat 
absorb    them    all,    and    they    vanish 
away.     See  the  beautiful  description 
of  this   which    Job   gives  in    ch.  vi. 
15-18.     Those   waters   vanish    away 
silently  and  gently.     The  stream  be- 
comes smaller  and  smaller  as  it  winds 
along  in  the  desert,  until  it  all  disap- 
pears.    So  Job  says  it  is  with  these 
wicked  men  whom  he  is  describing. 
Instead   of  being   violently    cut   ofl^"; 
instead  of  being   hurried   out   of  life 
by   some  sudden   and  dreadful  judg- 
ment, as  his  friends  maintained,  they 
were  suff'ered  to  linger  on  calmly  and 
peaceably — as   the   stream  glides  on 
gently     in     the     desert — until     they 
quietly  disappear    by   death — as  the 
waters    sink  gently  in  the   sands  or 
evaporate    in    the    air.      The   whole 
description  is  that  of  a  peaceful  death 
as    contradistinguisiied    from    one  of 
violence.     IT  So  doth  the  grave  those 
who  have  sinned.  There  is  a  wonder- 
ful terseness  and  energy  in  the  origi- 
nal words  here,  which  is  very  feebly 
expressed    by  our   translation.     The 
Hebrew  is   (IXIsn  biwSttJ)   '  the  grave, 
they  have  sinned.'    The  sense  is  cor- 
rectly expressed  in  the  common  ver- 
sion.      The    meaning    is,   that    they 
who   have    sinned   die    in  the    same 
quiet  and  gentle  manner  with  which 
waters  vanish    in     the    desert.      By 
those   who  have   sinned,  Job  means 
those  to  whom  he   had  just  referred 
— robbers,  adulterers,  murderers,  &c  , 
and   the   sense  of  the  whole  is,  that 
they  died  a  calm  and  peaceful  death. 
See    JVotes    on    ch.    xxi.    13,    where 
he   advances  the  same  sentimcTit  a."* 
here. 


JOB. 


20  The  womb  shall  forget 
him  ;  the  worm  shall  feed  sweet- 
ly on  him  ;  he  shall  be  no  more 
"  remembered  ;  and  wickedness 
shall  be  broken  as  a  tree. 

a  Pr.  10. 7.    Is.  26.  14.  1  or,  ht  trtisteth 

not  his  own  life. 

29.  The  womb  shall  forget  him. 
His  mother  who  bare  him  shall  for- 
get him.  The  idea  here  seems  to  be, 
that  he  sliall  fade  out  of  the  memory, 
just  as  other  persons  do.  He  shall 
not  be  overtaken  with  any  disgrace- 
ful punishment,  thus  giving  occasion 
to  remember  him  by  a  death  of  igno- 
miny. At  first  view  it  would  seem 
to  be  a  calamity  to  be  soon  forgotten 
by  a  mother;  but  if  the  above  inter- 
pretation be  correct,  then  it  me^s 
that  the  condition  of  his  death  would 
be  such  that  there  would  be  no  occa- 
sion for  a  mother  to  remember  him 
with  sorrow  and  shame,  as  she  would 
one  who  was  ignominiously  executed 
for  his  crimes.  This  interpretation 
was  proposed  by  Mercer,  and  has 
been  adopted  by  RosenmilUer,  Noyes, 
and  others.  It  accords  with  tiie  gen- 
eral scope  of  the  passage,  and  is 
j)robably  correct.  Various  other  in- 
terpretations, however,  have  been 
proposed,  which  may  be  seen  in 
Good,  and  in  the  Critici  Sacri.  IT  The 
worm  shall  feed  siceetly  on  him.  As 
on  others.  He  shall  die  and  be  bu- 
ried in  the  usual  manner.  He  shall 
lie  quietly  in  the  grave,  and  there  re- 
turn to  his  native  dust.  He  shall  not 
be  suspended  on  a  gibbet,  or  torn  and 
devoured  by  wild  beasts  ;  but  liis 
death  and  burial  shall  be  peaceful 
and  calm.  See  Notes  on  ch.  xxi.  26, 
xix.  26.  H  He  shall  he  no  more  remem- 
hcrcd.  As  having  been  a  man  of  emi- 
nent guilt,  or  as  ignominiously  pun- 
ished. The  meaning  is,  that  there  is 
nothing  marked  and  distinguishing  in 
his  deaUi.  There  is  no  peculiar  man- 
ifestation of  the  divine  displeasure. 
There  is  some  truth  in  this,  tliat  the 
wicked  cease  to  be  remembered. 
]\Icn  hasten  to  forget  them  ;  and  hav- 
\n"  done   no  good   that  makes   them 


21  He  evil-entreateth  the  bar- 
ren that  beareth  not,  and  doeth 
not  good  to  the  widow. 

22  Hedraweth  also  the  mighty 
with  his  power  :  he  riseth  up, 
'  and  no  inan  is  sure  of  life. 


the  objects  of  grateful  reminiscence, 
their  memory  fades  away.  This,  so 
far  from  being  a  calamity  and  a  curse. 
Job  regards  as  a  favor.  It  would  be 
a  calamity  to  be  remembered  as  a  bad 
man,  and  as  having  died  an  ignomin- 
ious death.  H  Jlnd  zoickcdncss shall  he. 
broken  as  a  tree.  Evil  here  or  icickcd- 
ncss  (i^^^?)  means  an  evil  or  wicked 
man.  The  idea  seems  to  be,  that 
such  a  man  would  die  as  a  tree  that  is 
stripped  of  its  leaves  and  branches  is 
broken  down.  He  is  not  like  a  green 
tree  that  is  violently  torn  up  by  the 
roots  in  a  storm,  or  twisted  oft'  in  a 
tempest,  but  like  a  dry  tree  that  be- 
gins to  decay,  and  that  falls  down 
gently  by  its  own  weij^ht.  It  lives  to 
be  old,  and  then  quietly  sinks  on  the 
ground  and  dies.  So  Job  says  it  is 
with  the  wicked.  They  are  not 
swept  away  by  the  divine  judgments, 
as  the  trees  of  the  forest  are  torn  up 
by  tiie  roots  or  twisted  off  by  the  tor- 
nado. 

21.  ITe  evil-entreateth  the  barren. 
The  woman  who  has  no  childrt;n  to 
comfort  or  support  her.  He  increases 
her  calamity  by  acts  of  cruelty  and 
oppression.  To  be  without  children, 
as  is  well  known,  was  regarded,  in 
the  patriarchal  ages,  as  a  great  ca- 
lamity. IT  .4nrf  doeth  not  good  to  the 
widow.  See  Notesonch.  xxiv.3.  Not- 
withstanding all  this,  he  is  permitted 
to  live  in  prosperity,  and  to  die  witli- 
out  any  visible  tokens  of  the  divine 
displeasure. 

22.  He  draweth  also  the  mighttj  ipith 
his  2)0icer.  The  word  here  rendered 
draweth  (T)^^),  means  to  draw  ;  and 
then,  to  lay  hold  of,  to  take,  to  take 
away,  and,  hence,  to  remove,  to  de- 
stroy. Ps.  xxviii.  3,  Ezok.  xxii.  20. 
The  idea  hern  seems  to  be,  that  his 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


37 


23  Though  it  be  given  him  to 
he  in  safety,  whereon  he  resteth  ; 
yet  his  °  eyes  arc  upon  their 
ways. 

a  Pr.  25.  21-23.      J  Ps.  37. 35,  3G. 

acts  of  oppression  and  cruelty  were 
not  confined  to  the  poor  and  tlie  de- 
fenceless. Even  the  great  and  tlie 
iniglity  were  also  exposed,  and  he 
spared  none.  No  one  was  safe,  and 
no  rights  could  be  regarded  as  secure. 
The  ciiaractcr  here  described  is  one 
that  pertains  to  a  tyrant,  or  a  con- 
queror, and  Job  probably  meant  to 
describe  some  such  mighty  man,  who 
was  regardless  alike  of  the  rights  of 
the  high  and  the  low.  U  He  riscth  tip. 
When  he  rises  up  ;  that  is,  when  he 
enters  on  an  enterprise,  or  goes  forth 
to  accomplish  his  wicked  purposes. 
If  JJnd  no  man  is  sure  of  life.  From 
the  dread  of  him  even  the  great  and 
mighty  have  no  security.  This  lan- 
guage will  well  ^escribe  the  charac- 
ter of  an  Oriental  despot.  Having 
absolute  power,  no  man,  not  even  the 
highest  in  rank,  can  feel  that  his  life 
is  safe  if  the  monarch  becomes  in  any 
way  offended.  Yet,  Job  says  that 
even  such  a  despot  was  permitted  to 
live  in  prosperity,  and  to  die  without 
any  remarkable  proof  of  the  divine 
di.spleasure. 

23.  Though  it  he  given  him  to  be  in 
safctij.  Tliat  is,  God  gives  him  safety. 
The  name  God  is  often  understood, 
or  not  expressed.  The  meaning  is, 
that  God  gives  this  wicked  man,  or 
oppressor,  safety.  He  is  permitted  to 
live  a  life  of  security  and  tranquillity. 
Tl  Whereon  he  resteth.  Or,  rather, 
'And  he  is  sustained,  or  upheld' — 
(""-;'?';;•  The  meaning  is,  that  he  is 
sustained  or  upheld  by  God.  IT  Yet 
Ins  eyes  are  upon  their  icays.  '  And 
the  eyes  of  God  are  upon  the  ways  of 
such  men.'  That  is,  God  guards  and 
defends  them.  He  seems  to  smile 
upon  them,  and  to  prosper  all  their 
enterprises. 

24.  Theif  are.  exalted  for  a  little 
ti-h/le  This  was  the  proposition 
which    Job    was    maintaining.      His 


24  They  are  exalted  for  a  lit- 
tle *  while,  but  are  '  gone  and 
brought  low  ;  they  are  taken 
"out  of  the  way  as  all  other,  and 

1  not.  2  closed  up. 


friends  affirmed  that  the  wicked  were 
punished  for  their  sins  in  this  life, 
and  that  great  crimes  would  soon  meet 
with  great  calamities.  This  Job  de- 
nies, and  says  that  the  fact  was,  that 
they  were  "  exalted."  Yet  he  knew 
that  it  was  to  be  but  for  a  little  time, 
and  he  believed  that  they  would,  at 
no  distant  period,  receive  the  proper 
reward  of  their  deeds.  He  maintains, 
however,  that  their  death  might  be 
tranquil  and  easy,  and  that  no  extra- 
ordinary proof  of  the  divine  displea- 
sure would  be  perceived  in  the  man- 
ner of  their  departure.  II  But  are 
gone  and  brought  loic.  Marg.  not. 
Heb.  ^35"'S>?'1  — "and  are  not."  Comp. 
Gen.  xlii.  13.  "  The  youngest  is  this 
day  with  our  father,  and  one  is  not." 
Gen.  xxxvii.  30.  "The  child  is  not, 
and  I,  whither  shall  I  go  .'"  That  is, 
the  child  is  dead.  Comp.  the  ex- 
pression Troja  fuit.  The  meaning 
here  is,  tiiat  they  soon  disappear,  or 
vanish.  IT  They  are  taken  out  of  the 
loay  as  all  other.  They  die  in  the 
same  manner  as  other  men  do,  and 
without  any  extraordinary  expres- 
sions of  the  divine  displeasure  in  their 
death.  This  was  directly  contrary 
to  what  his  friends  had  maintained. 
The  Hebrew  word  here  ('f  ?t^)  means, 
to  gather.,  to  collect ;  and  is  often  used 
in  the  sense  of  "  gathering  to  one's 
fathers,"  to  denote  death.  11  Jind  cut 
off  as  the  tops  of  the  ears  of  cor ti.  Of 
wheat,  barley,  or  similar  grain.  Corn, 
in  the  sense  in  which  the  word  is 
commonly  used  in  this  country,  was 
not  known  in  the  time  of  Job.  The 
allusion  here  is  to  the  harvest.  When 
the  grain  was  ripe,  it  seems  they 
were  in  the  habit  of  cutting  oft"  the 
ears,  and  not  of  cutting  it  near  the 
root,  as  we  do.  The  body  of  the 
stalk  was  left,  and,  hence,  there  is 
so  frequent  allusion  in  the  Scriptures 


38 


JOB. 


cut  off  as  the  tops  of  the  ears  of 
corn. 

25  And  if  it  be  not  50  now, 

to  stubble  that  was  burnt.  So,  in 
Egypt,  the  children  of  Israel  were 
directed  to  obtain  the  stubble  left  in 
the  fields,  in  making  brick,  instead 
of  having  straw  furnished  them.  The 
meaning  of  Job  here  is,  that  they 
would  not  be  taken  away  by  a  violent 
death,  or  before  their  time,  but  that 
they  would  be  like  grain  sta.nditig  in 
the  field  to  the  time  of  harvest,  and 
then  peacefully  gathered.  Comp. 
Ps.  Ixxiii.  4. 

25  And  if  it  be  not  so  noic,  who 
loill  make  me  a  liar  ?  A  challenge  to 
any  one  to  prove  the  contrary  to 
what  he  had  said.  Job  had  now  at- 
tacked their  main  position,  and  had 
appealed  to  facts,  in  defence  of  what 
he  held.  He  maintained  that,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  wicked"  v^fere  pros- 
pered, that  they  often  lived  to  old 
age,  and  that  they  then  died  a  peace- 
ful death,  witiioul  any  direct  demon- 
stration of  the  divine  displeasure. 
He  boldly  appeals,  now,  to  any  one 
to  deny  this,  or  to  prove  the  contrary. 
The  appeal  was  decisive.  The  fact 
was  undeniable,  and  the  controversy 
was  closed.  Bildad  (ch.  xxv.)  at- 
tempts a  brief  reply,  but  he  does  not 
toucli  the  question  about  the  facts  to 
which  Job  had  appealed,  but  utters  a 
few  vague  and  irrelevant  proverbial 
maxims,  about  the  greatness  of  God, 
aiid  is  silent.     His  proverbs  app'Ciar 


who  will    make  me   a  liar,  and 
make  my  speech  nothing  worth? 


to  be  exhausted,  and  the  theory  which 
he  and  his  friends  had  so  carefully 
built  up,  and  in  which  they  had  been 
so  confident,  was  now  overthrown 
Perhaps  this  was  one  design  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  in  recording  the  argument 
thus  far  conducted,  to  show  that  the 
tlieory  of  tiie  divine  administration, 
which  had  been  built  up  with  so 
much  care,  and  which  was  sustained 
by  so  many  proverbial  maxims,  was 
false.  The  overthrow  of  this  theory 
was  of  sufficient  importance  to  justi- 
fy this  protracted  argument,  for  (],) 
it  was  and  is  of  the  highest  import- 
ance that  correct  views  should  prevail 
of  the  nature  of  the  divine  adminis- 
tration ;  and  (2,)  it  is  of  especial  im- 
portance in  comforting  the  afflicted 
people  of  God.  Job  had  experienced 
great  aggravation,  in  his  sufferings, 
from  the  position  which  his  friends 
had  maintained,  and  from  the  argu- 
ments which  they  had  been  able  to 
adduce,  to  prove  that  his  sufferings 
were  proof  that  he  was  a  hj'pocrite. 
But  it  is  worth  all  which  it  has  cost ; 
all  tiie  experience  of  the  afflicted 
friends  of  God,  and  all  the  pains 
taken  to  reveal  it,  to  show  that  af- 
fliction is  no  certain  proof  of  the  di- 
vine displeasure,  and  that  important 
ends  may  be  accomplished  by  means 
of  trial. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 


This  short  reply  of  liildad  closes  what  the  three  friends  of  Job  had  to  say,  for  Zophar  docs 
not  attempt  to  answer.  liiUlad  does  not  attempt  to  meet  the  appeals  which  Job  had  made  to 
facts,  or  reply  to  his  arguments.  He  does  not  even  reproach  Job  as  he  and  his  friends  had  dono 
before,  or  even  express  his  conviction  that  he  was  a  wicked  man.  The  speech  is  evidently 
that  of  one  who  felt  that  he  must  say  smnctMnn-,  but  who  did  not  know  how  to  meet  the  coursR 
of  ar^'iiincMit  which  Job  had  pursued.  He  asserts,  in  a  lofty  strain,  the  majesty,  dominion,  and 
iiitinilH  p-rfection  of  the  Deity,  and  then  repeats  the  proposition,  that  in  the  sight  of  such  a  God 
the  whole  universe  must  be  regarded  as  impure.  It  would  seem  to  be  implied  that  he  supposed 
that  Job's  arguments  went  on  the  supposition  that  man  was  pure,  and  that  all  that  was  necessary 
to  be  said,  was  to  re-alTirm  the  impossibility  that  any  should  be  holy  in  the  sight  of  God.  Many 
a  man,  when  perplexed  willi  some  view  of  truth  which  wholly  confounds  all  his  reasoning  and 
sets  aside  his  maxims,  but  who  lacks  the  ingenuousness  to  admit  the  force  of  the  argument 
adduced,  meets  a  case  just  as  Bildad  did.  Unconvinced,  he  adheres  to  his  own  opinion  ;  una- 
ble to  meet  the  argument,  he  does  not  attempt  to  reply  to  h,  yet  feels  that  he  must  say  some- 
thing- to  show  that  ho  is  not  silenced.  The  feebleness  of  this  reply,  however,  only  en  onrages 
Job  to  utter  the  triumphant  sentiments  expressed  in  the  following  chapters. 


nPHEN    answered    Bildad   tne 
Sluihite  and  said, 
2  Dominion    "    and    fear    are 
with  him  ;  he  maketh  peace   in 

a  Ha.  4.3  34.  Jude  25. 

2.  Dominion  and  fear  are  rcith  him. 
That  is,  God  Iims  a  right  to  riile^  and 
he  ought  to  be  regarded  with  rever- 
ence. Tlie  object  of  Bildad  is  to 
show  tluit  He  is  so  great  and  glorious 
tliat  it  is  impossible  tliat  man  should 
be  regarded  as  pure  in  his  sight.  He 
begins,  therefore,  by  saying,  that  he 
is  a  Sovereign  ;  that  he  is  clothed 
with  majesty,  and  that  he  is  worthy 
of  profound  veneration.  TT  Hemaketh 
peace  in  his  high  places.  '  High 
places'  here  refer  to  the  heavenly 
worlds.  The  idea  is,  that  he  ];re- 
serves  peace  and  concord  among  the 
hosts  of  heaven.  Numerous  and 
mighty  as  arc  the  armies  of  the  skies, 
yet  he  keeps  them  in  order  and  in 
awe.  The  object  is  to  present  an 
image  of  the  majesty  and  power  of 
that  Being  who  thus  controls  a  vast 
number  of  minds.  The  phrase  does 
not  necessarily  imply  that  there  had 
been  variance  or  strife,  and  that  then 
God  had  made  peace,  but  that  he 
preserved  or  kept  them  in  peace. 


his  high  places. 

3  Is  there  any  number  of  his 
armies  ?  and  upon  whom  '  doth 
not  his  light  arise  ? 

6  Mat.  5.  45. 

3.  Is  there  any  number  of  his  ar- 
'inies  ?  The  armies  of  heaven;  or 
the  hosts  of  angelic  beings,  which  are 
often  represented  as  arranged  or  mar- 
shalh'd  into  armies.  See  Notes  on 
Isa.  i.  9.  The  word  which  is  hero 
used  is  not  the  common  one  which  is 
rendered  'hosts,'  (^<^i£i,  but  is  '^l'^?, 
which  iiie.His  properly  a  troop,  hand, 
or  army.  It  may  here  mean  either 
the  constellations  often  represented 
as  the  army  whicii  God  marshals 
and  commands,  or  it.  may  mean  the 
angels.  IT  And  upon  ichom  doth  not 
his  light  arise?  This  is  designed 
evidently  to  show  the  majesty  and 
glory  of  God.  It  refers  probably  to 
the  light  of  the  sun,  as  the  light  which 
he  creates  and  commands.  The  idea 
is,  that  it  pervades  all  things  ;  that,  as 
controlled  by  him,  it  penetrates  all 
places,  arid  How's  over  all  worlds. 
Tlie  image  is  a  striking  and  sublime 
one,  and  nothing  is  better  fitted  to 
show  the  majesty  and  glory  of  God. 


40 


JOB. 


4  IIow  then  can  man  be  justi- 
fied "  with  God  ?  or  how  can  he 
be  clean  *  that  is  born  of  a  wo- 
man ? 

5  Behold   even  to  the  moon, 

a  c.  4.  17,  &c.      15.  4,  &c.     Vs.  143.  2,  &c 
Ro.  5.  1,  21. 

4.  How  then  can  man  he  justified 
with  God  ?  See  ch.  iv.  17,  IS,  xv. 
]5,  IG.  Instead  of  meeting  tite  facts 
to  whicl)  Job  had  appealed,  all  that 
Bildad  could  now  do  was  to  repeat 
what  had  been  said  before.  It  sliows 
that  he  felt  himself  unable  to  dispose 
of  the  argument,  and  yet  that  he  was 
not  willing  to  confess  that  he  was 
vanquished.  H  Or  lioio  can  he  be 
clean?  This  sentiment  had  been 
expressed  by  Job  himself,  ch.  xiv.  4. 
Perhaps  Bildad  meant  now  to  adopt 
it  as  undoubted  truth,  and  to  tlirow  it 
back  upon  Job  as  worthy  of  his  spe- 
cial attention.  It  has  no  bearing  on 
the  arguments  which  Job  had  ad- 
vanced, and  is  utterly  irrelevant  ex- 
cept as  Bildad  supposed  that  the 
course  of  argunicnt  maintained  by 
Job  implied  that  he  supposed  himself 
to  be  pure. 

5.  Behold  even  to  the  moon,  and  it 
shineth  not.  Or,  behold  even  the 
moon  shineth  not.  That  is,  in  com- 
parison with  God  it  is  dark  and  ob- 
scure. The  idea  is,  that  the  most 
beautiful  and  glorious  objects  become 
dim  and  fide  away  when  compared 
with  him.  So  Jerome  renders  it, 
Ecce  lumi  etiani  iiun  splendet.  The 
word  here  rendered  shineth  ('"'•l^-) 
frequently  means  to  pilcli  or  remove 
a  tent,  and  is  a  form  of  tlie  word  ^i^.i^ 
uniformly  rendered  tent  or  tabernacle. 
Some  liave  supposed  that  tiie  mean- 
ing hero  is,  that  even  the  moon  and 
the  stars  of  heaven — the  bright  cano- 
py above — were  not  fit  to  i'urnish  a 
tent  or  dwelling  for  God.  But  the 
paraliclism  seems  to  demand  the  usual 
interpretation,  as  meaning  that  tlie 
moon  and  stars  faded  away  before 
God.  The  word  ^'"]^  derives  this 
meaning,  according  to  Gescnius,  from 


and  it  shineth  not ;  yea,  the  stars 
are  not  pure  in  his  sight ; 

G  How  much  less  man,  that 
is  a  worm,  and  the  son  of  man, 
which  is  a  worm  ? 

b  Zee.  13.  1.     1  Co.  G.  11.     1  Jno.  1.9.     Re 
1.5. 

its  relation  to  the  word  ^\^,  to  be 
clear  or  brilliant,  from  the  mutual 
relation  of  the  verbs  N2  and  ^v'.  The 
Arabic  has  the  same  meaning.  TI  Yea, 
the  stars  are  not  pure  in  his  s.'s'ht- 
That  is,  they  are  not  bright  in  com 
parison  with  him.  Tlie  design  is  to 
show  the  glory  of  the  Most  High, 
and  that  nothing  could  be  compared 
with  him.     See  J\otes,  ch.  iv.  18. 

6.  How  much  less  man.  See  cli. 
iv.  19.  Man  is  here  mentioned  as  a 
worm  ;  in  ch.  iv.  19  he  is  said  to 
dwell  in  a  house  of  clay  and  to  be 
crushed  before  the  moth.  In  both 
cases  the  design  is  to  represent  him 
as  insignificant  in  comparison  with 
God.  H  ^  Mjorm.  •^'S'].  Seech.vii. 
5.  The  word  is  commonly  applied 
to  such  worms  as  are  bred  in  putrid- 
ity, and  jience  the  comparison  is  the 
more  forcible.  TI  ^'?«(Z  the  son  of  man. 
Another  mode  of  speaking  of  man. 
Any  one  of  the  children  of  man  is 
the  same.  No  one  of  them  can  be 
compared  with  God.  Comp.  Notes, 
Matth.  i.  ].  11  Which  is  a  icorin. 
nsbin.  Comp.  Notes,  Isa.  i.  18. 
This  word  frequently  denotes  the 
worm  from  which  the  scarlet  or  crini 
son  color  was  obtained.  It  is,  how- 
ever, used  to  denote  the  worm  that  is 
bred  on  putrid  substances,  and  is  so 
used  here.  Comp.  Ex.  xvi.  20.  Isa. 
xiv.  II,  Ixvi.  24.  It  is  also  applied 
to  a  worm  that  destroys  plants.  i~>- 
nali  iv.  7.  Dcut.  xxviii.  39.  Hero  it 
means,  that  man  is  poor,  feelde, 
powerless.  In  comparison  witii  God 
he  is  ti  crawling  worm.  All  that  a 
said  in  this  chapter  is  true  and  beau- 
tiful, but  it  has  nothing  to  do  with 
the  subject  in  debate.  Job  had  ap- 
pealed to  the  course  of  ev<Mits  in 
proof  of  the  trutii  of  !iis  position 
The  true  way  to  meet  that  was  either 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


4\ 


iO  (Iriiy  lliat  llin  facts  existed  as  he 
alleged,  or  to  show  that  tliey  did  not 
prove  vvliat  he  had  adduced  them  to 
estahlish.  But  Bildad  did  neither; 
nor  did  lie  ingenuously  confess  that 
the  argument  was  against  him  and  his 
friends.  At  this  stage  of  the  contro- 
versy, since  they  had  nothing  to  reply 
to  what  Job   had   alleged,  it   would 


have  been  honorable  in  llieni  to  have 
acknowledged  that  they  were  in 
error,  and  to  iiave  yielded  the  palm  of 
victory  to  him.  But  it  requires  extra- 
ordinary candor  and  humility  to  do 
that;  .ind  rather  than  do  it,  most 
men  would  prefer  to  say  soincf/iinff — 
though  it  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
case  in  hand. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 


In  this  chapter  Job  commences  a  reply  to  all  that  had  been  said  by  his  three  friends,  and 
concludes  the  controversy.  At  the  close  of  this  chapter,  it  would  seem  probable,  that  he 
paused  for  Zophar,  whose  turn  came  next  to  speak,  but  as  he  said  nothing,  he  resumed  his  dis- 
course, and  continued  it  to  the  close  of  ch.  xx.xi. 

This  chapter  consists  of  two  parts.  I.  In  the  first  part  (vs.  1-4),  Job  begins  the  reply  with 
sarcasms  on  his  opponent  as  having  oflfored  nothing  that  in  reality  pertained  to  the  dispute.  lie 
had  made  gieat  pretensions,  but  he  had  not  in  any  way  met  the  difficulties  of  the  case.  He 
had  not  replied  at  all  to  his  arguments,  nor  had  he  done  any  thing  to  relieve  his  mind  in  its 
embarrassments.  II.  In  the  second  part  fvs.  5-14)  Job  liimself  enters  into  a  statement  of  the 
power  and  majesty  of  the  Almighty.  Ho  shows  that  he  could  speak  in  as  lofty  a  styl«  of  the 
greatness  of  God  as  his  friends  could.  His  object  in  this  seems  to  be, not  mersly  a  trial  of  skill 
in  the  description  which  was  given  of  God,  but  to  show  them  that  the  views  which  /ec  cherished 
were  not  produced  by  any  low  and  grovelling  conceptions  of  God.  He  had  the  most  exalted 
ideas  of  him.  He  accorded  with  all  that  tliey  said.  He  could  even  go  beyond  them  in  his 
descriptions  of  the  divine  majesty  and  glory.  His  views  about  his  own  character,  therefore, 
were  not  inconfistent  with  the  most  exalted  conceptions  of  the  Deity,  nor  did  he  regard  the 
most  elevated  views  of  God  as  any  proof  that  lie  himself  was  eminently  guilty  or  hypocritical, 
as  they  seemed  to  suppose.  Having  thus  shown  that  his  views  of  Cod  were  quite  as  exalted  as 
those  of  his  friends,  in  the  next  chapter  he  returns  to  his  argument,  and  defends  the  positions 
which  he  had  before  advanced. 


"DUT  Job  answered  and  said, 
2  How  "  hast  thou  helped 

a  Is.  40. 14. 

2.  Hoic  hast  thou  helped  him  that 
is  irilhout  ■power?  It  has  been  doubt- 
ed whether  this  refers  to  Job  him- 
self, the  two  friends  of  Bildad,  or  to 
.he  Deity.  RosenmilUcr.  The  con- 
nection, however,  seems  to  demand 
that  it  should  be  referred  to  Job  him- 
self It  is  sarcastical.  Bildad  had 
come  as  a  friend  and  comforter.  He 
had,  also,  in  common  with  Eliphaz 
and  Zophar,  taken  upon  himself  the 
office  of  teacher  and  counsellor.    He 


him  that  is  without  power  1  hoiv 
savest  thou  the  arm  that  hath  no 
strength  ? 

had  regarded  Job  as  manifesting  great 
weakness  in  his  views  of  God  and  of 
his  government ;  as  destitute  of  all 
strength  to  bear  up  aright  under  trials, 
and  now  all  that  ho  had  done  to  aid 
one  so  weak  was  found  in  the  imper- 
tinent and  irrelevant  generalities  of 
his  brief  sp(!ecii.  Job  is  indignant 
that  One  with  such  pretensions  should 
have  said  nothing  more  to  the  pur- 
pose. Herder,  however,  renders  this 
as  if  it  related  wholly  to  God,  and  it 


42 


JOB 


3  How  liast  thou  counselled 
him  that  hath  no  wisdom  ?  and 
how  hast  thou  plentifully  declared 
the  thing  as  it  is  1 

4  To  whom  hast  thou  uttered 

a  Ec.  12.  7. 

cannot    be  denied  that  the   Hebrew 
would  bear  this  : 

"  Wliom  helpfist  thou  f  Him  who  hath  no 
strcni;th  ? 

Whom  (lost  thou  vindicate?  Him  whose 
arm  hath  no  power? 

To  whom  give  counsel  ?  One  without  wis- 
dom ? 

Truly  nmch  wisdom  hast  thou  taught  him  !" 

IT  Ilow  savest  thou  the  arm  that  liath 
710  strength  ?  That  is,  your  remarks 
are  not  adapted  to  invigorate  the 
feeble.  He  liad  come  professedly  to 
comfort  and  support  his  afflicted 
friend  in  his  trials.  Yet  Job  asks 
what  there  was  in  his  observations 
that  was  fitted  to  produce  this  eflect .' 
Instead  of  declaiming  on  the  majesty 
and  greatness  of  God,  he  should  have 
said  something  that  was  adapted  to 
relieve  an  afflicted  and  a  troubled  soul. 
3.  How  hast  thou  coiinsclled  liiin 
that  hath  no  tnisdom?  As  he  had 
undertaken  to  give  counsel  to  ano- 
ther, and  to  suggest  views  that  might 
be  adapted  to  elevate  his  mind  in  his 
depression,  and  to  console  him  in  his 
sorrows,  he  had  a  right  to  expect 
more  than  he  had  found  in  his  speech. 
TI  Jlnd  how  hast  thou  plentifully  de- 
clared the  thing  as  it  is?  The  word 
rendered  "  the  thing  as  it  is  "  (n^'i'^P) 
denotes  properly  a  setting  upright,  up- 
rightness— from  "^^"^  ;  then  help,  de- 
liverance, Job  vi.  13  ;  purpose,  under- 
taking, enterprise,  Job  v.  12;  then 
counsel,  wisdom,  understanding.  Job 
xi.  6,  xii.  16.  Here  it  is  svnonymous 
with  reason,  wisdom,  or  truth.  Tlie 
word  rendered  '  plentifully  '  (-"^5^ 
means  '  for  nujltitude,'  or  abundantly, 
and  the  sense  here  is,  that  Biidad 
luid  made  extraordinary  pretensions 
to  wisdom.,  and  that  this  was  the  re- 
sult. This  shoit,  irrelevant  speech 
wa.s  all ;  a  speech  that  communicated 


words  ?  and  whose  spirit  "  came 
from  thee  ? 

5  Dead  things  are  formed 
from  under  tlie  waters,  '  and  the 
inhabitants  thereof. 

1  or,  with 


nothing  new,  and  that  met  none  ot 
the  real  difficulties  of  the  case. 

4.  To  whom  hast  thou  nttcrea 
words?  Jerome  renders  this,  Qucm 
docere  voluisti  ?  "  Whom  do  you  wish 
to  teach.''"  The  sense  is,  'Do  you 
attempt  to  teach  me  in  sucli  a  man- 
ner, on  such  a  subject  .■'  Do  you  take 
it  that  I  am  so  ignorant  of  the  per- 
fections of  God,  that  such  remarks 
about  him  would  convey  any  real  in- 
struction .''  TT  Jiiid  whose  spirit  eame 
from  thee?  That  is,  by  whose  spirit 
didst  thou  speal<  .'  ^\'hat  claims  hast 
tliou  to  inspiration,  or  to  the  uttering  of 
sentiments  beyond  what  man  himself 
could  originate  .'  The  meaning  is, 
that  there  was  nothing  remarkable  in 
what  he  had  said  that  would  show 
tiiat  he  had  been  indebted  for  it  either 
to  God  or  to  the  wise  and  good  on 
eartii. 

5.  Dead  things.  Job  here  com- 
mences his  description  of  God,  to 
sliow  that  his  views  of  liis  majesty 
and  glory  were  in  no  way  inferior  to 
those  which  had  been  expressed  by 
Biidad,  and  that  what  Biidad  had 
said  conveyed  to  him  no  real  infor- 
mation. In  this  description  he  far 
surj)asses  Biidad  in  loftiness  of  con- 
ception, and  sublimity  of  description. 
Indeed,  it  may  be  doubted  whether 
for  grandeur  this  passage  is  surpassed 
by  any  description  of  the  majesty  of 
God  in  the  Bible.  Tlie  passage  iiere 
has  given  rise  to  much  discussion,  and 
to  a  great  variet}'  of  opinion.  Our  com- 
mon translation  is  most  feeble,  and 
by  no  means  conve}^  its  true  force. 
The  ohject  of  tlic  whole  jiassage  is  to 
assert  the  universal  dominion  of  God. 
Biidad  had  said  (ch.  xxv.)  that  the 
dominion  of  God  extended  to  the 
lieavens,  and  to  the  armies  of  tlie 
skies  ;  that  God  surpassed  in  majesty 
the  splendor  of  the  lieaveiily  bodiea; 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


43 


6   Hell  "  is  naked  before  him, 

o  I.    139.  8,  11.  rr.  15.  11.   He.  4   13. 


and  thai:  compared  with  hitn  man 
was  a  worm.  Job  commences  his 
descrijition  by  saying  that  the  do- 
minion of  fiod  extended  even  to  the 
nether  world  ;  and  that  such  were 
his  majesty  end  power  that  even  the 
shades  of  tlie  mighty  dead  trembled 
at  his  presence,  and  that  hell  was 
all  naked  before  liim.  The  word 
C^X5"l — Rcphfiim — so  feebly  render- 
ed '  dead  t/iitiffs,''  means  the  shades  of 
the  dead;  the  departed  spirits  that 
dwell  ill  Shcol.  See  the  word  ex- 
plained at  length  in  the  Notes  on 
Isa.  xiv.  9.  Tliev  are  those  who 
have  left  this  world  and  who  have 
gone  down  to  dwell  in  the  world  be- 
neath— the  great  and  migiity  con- 
querors and  kings  ;  the  illustrious 
dead  of  past  times,  who  have  left  the 
world  and  are  congregated  in  the 
land  of  Shades.  Jerome  renders  it, 
gigantes,  and  the  LXX,  yfyai'Tfc;  — 
giants;  from  a  common  belief  tiiat 
those  shades  were  larger  than  life. 
Tlius  Lucretius  says: 

Quip)ie  et  eniai  jam  turn  divum  mortalin  sccla. 
E{;regias  aniino  facies  vigilante  videbaiit  ;       / 
Et  magis  in  somnis,  mirando  corporis:  aucter.  * 
Rer.  Nat.  ver.  1168. 

The  word  shades  here  will  express 
the  sense,  meaning  the  departed 
spirits  that  are  assembled  in  Sheol. 

The  Chaldee  renders  it,  Si^'^^?  — 
mighty  ones,  or  giants  ;  the  Syriac, 

in  like  manner,  P-^i^,^ — giants.     TI 

jJre  formed.      The    Syriac    renders 

this,  .a-^H-^^ — are  killed.  Jerome, 

gemunt — groan  ;  Sept.,  "  Arc  giants 
born  from  beneath  the  water,  and  the 
neighboring  places  .'"'  What  idea  the 
authors  of  that  version  attached  to 
the  passa>je  it  is  difficult  to  sav.  The 
Hebrew  word  here  used  (^^t  '^'?  i 
from  ^'IH),  means  to  twist,  to  turn,  to 
he  in  anguish — as  in  child-birth  ;  and 
then  it  may  mean  to  tremble,  quake, 
be  in  terror  ;  and  tlie  idea  here  seems 
to  be,    that  the    shades  of  the  dead 


and  destruction  hath  no  cover- 
ing. 


were  in  anguish,  or  trembled  at  the 
awful  presence,  and  under  the  do- 
minion of  God.  So  Luther  render>' 
it — understanding  it  of  giants — Die 
Riescn  (Ingsten  sich  untc.r  den  Was 
sern.  The  sense  would  he  well  ex 
pressed,  '  The  shades  of  the  dead 
tremble,  or  are  in  anguish  before 
liim.  They  fear  his  power.  They 
acknowledge  his  empire.'  TI  Under 
the  waters.  The  abode  of  departed 
spirits  is  always  in  this  book  placed 
beneath  the  ground.  But  why  this 
abode  is  placed  beneath  the  icaters, 
is  not  apparent.  It  is  usually  under 
the  ground,  and  the  entrance  to  it  is 
by  the  grave,  or  by  some  dark  cavern. 
Comp.  Virgil's  ^niad.  Lib.  vi.  A 
diflerent  interpretation  has  been  pro- 
posed of  tliis  verse,  which  seems 
better  to  suit  the  connection.  It  is 
to  understand  the  phrase  (^''jP'^) 
'  under,'  as  meaning  simply  beneath — 
'the  shades  beneath  ;'  and  to  regard 
the  word  (C'?'?)  icaters  as  connected 
with  llie  following  member  : 

"  The  shades  beneath  tremble  ; 
The  waters  and  the  inhabitants  thereof." 

Thus  explained,  the  passage  means 
that  the  whole  universe  is  under  the 
control  of  God,  and  trembles  before 
him.  Sheol  and  its  Shades ;  the 
oceans  and  their  inhabitants  stand  in 
awe  before  him.  IT  Jlnd  the  inhabit- 
ants thereof.  Of  tlie  waters — tlie 
oceans.  The  idea  is,  that  the  vast  in- 
habitants of  the  deep  all  recognize 
the  power  of  God  and  tremble  before 
him.  This  dcscrij)tion  accords  with 
that  given  by  the  ancient  poets  of 
the  power  and  majesty  of  the  gods, 
and  is  not  less  sijblime  than  any 
given  by  them. 

6.  Hell.  Heb.  ^IN'JJ,  Sheol;  Gr. 
<'t3t]q.,  Hades.  The  reference  is  to  the 
abode  of  departed  spirits — the  nether 
world  where  the  dead  were  congre- 
gated. See  Notes  on  ch.  x.  21,  22. 
It  docs  not  mean  here,  as  the  word 
hell  does  with  us,  a  place  of  punish- 
ment,  but   the  place    where   all    the 


44 


JOB. 


7  He     stretcheth     oat   ''   the 


dead  were  supposed  to  be  gathered 
together.  IT  Is  naked  before  him. 
TJiat  is,  ho  looks  directly  upon  that 
world.  It  is  hidden  from  us,  but  not 
from  him.  He  sees  all  its  inliahit- 
ants,  knows  all  their  employments, 
and  sways  a  sceptre  over  tliem  all. 
"i  vSnd  destruction.  Heb.  """'inS,  Jl- 
baddon.  Comp.  Rev.  ix.  11,  "And 
they  had  a  king  over  them,  which  is 
tlie  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  whose 
name  in  the  Hebrew  is  Abaddon,  but 
in  the  Greek  tongue  hath  his  name 
Apollyon."  The  Hebrew  word 
means  destruction,  and  then  abyss,  or 
place  of  destruction,  and  is  evidently 
given  here  to  the  place  where  depart- 
ed spirits  are  supposed  to  reside.  The 
word  in  this  form  occurs  only  here 
and  in  Prov.  xv.  11.  Ps.  Jxxxviii.  11. 
Job  xxvi.  6,  in  all  which  places  it  is 
rendered  destruction.  The  idea  here 
is,  not  that  this  is  a  place  where  souls 
are  destroyed,  but  that  it  is  a  place 
similar  to  destruction — as  if  all  life, 
comfort,  liglit,  and  joy,  were  extin- 
guished. H  Hath  no  covering.  There 
is  nothing  to  conceal  it  from  God. 
He  looks  down  even  on  that  dark 
nether  world,  and  sees  and  knows  all 
tiiat  is  there.  There  is  a  passage 
somewhat  similar  to  this  in  Homer, 
quoted  by  Longinus  as  one  of  unri- 
valled sublimity,  but  which  by  no 
nitmns  surpasses  tliis.  It  occurs  in 
the  Iliad,  xx.  61-G6  : 

\t,i?.ti(7tii   J'    vrru'cpOci'    liva^    r.vtpMV    Aioco- 
vt'ii,  K.r.X. 

Deep  ill  the  dismal  regions  of  the  dead, 
Th'  infernal  monarch  reared  his  horrid  head, 
Leaped  from  his  throne,  lest  Neptune's  arm 

should  lay 
His  dark  dominions  open  to  the  day. 
And  [)our  in  liglit  on  Pluto's  drear  abodes, 
Abhorred  by  men,  and  dreadful  e'en  to  gods. 
Pope. 
7.  lie  strt  tchelh  out  the  north.  This 
whole  passage  is  particularly  interest- 
ing as  giving  a  view  of  the  cosmology 
which  jirevailed  in  those  early  times. 
Indeed,  as  has  been  before  remarked, 
this   poem,    apart   from    every   other 


north  over  the  empty  place,  and 
h.augeth  the  earth  upon  uuthinor, 

consideration,  is  of  great  value  for 
disclosing  to  us  the  prevailing  views 
on  tlie  subjects  of  astronomy,  geogra- 
phy, and  many  of  the  arts,  at  a  much 
earlier  period  than  we  have  an  ac- 
count of  them  elsewhere.  The  word 
north  here  denotes  (he  heavens  as 
they  aj)pear  to  revolve  around  the 
pole,  and  which  seem  to  be  stretched 
out  as  a  curtain.  The  heavens  arc 
often  represented  as  a  veil,  an  ex- 
panse, a  curtain,  or  a  tent.  See 
Notes  on  Isa.  xxxiv.  4,  xl.  22.  U  Over 
the  empty  place.  ^ri'n~P3,  Upon  empti- 
ness, or  nothing.  That  is,  without 
any  thing  to  support  it.  The  word 
here  used  (^ilF)j  is  one  of  those  em- 
ployed Gen.  i.  2,  "And  the  earth 
was  without  form  and  void."  But  it 
seems  here  to  mean  emptiness,  no- 
thing. The  north  is  stretched  out  and 
sustained  by  tlie  mere  power  of  God. 
IT  And  hangeth  the  earth  upon  nothing. 
It  has  nothing  to  support  it.  So  Mil- 
ton : 

"  And   earth    self-balanced   from    her    centre 
hung." 

There  is  no  certain  evidence  hero 
that  Job  was  acquainted  with  tlio 
globular  form  of  the  earth,  and  with 
its  diurnal  and  annual  revolutions. 
But  it  is  clear  that  he  regarded  it  as 
not  resting  on  any  foundation  or  sup- 
port ;  as  lying  on  the  vacant  air,  and 
kept  there  by  the  power  of  God. 
The  Chaldee  Paraphrast,  in  order  to 
explain  this,  as  that  Paraphrase  often 
does,  adds  the  word  waters.  '  He 
hangeth  the  earth  ^"l"^  ^'})t'?.  upon  the 
waters,  with  no  one  to  sustain  it.' 
The  sentiment  here  expressed  by  Job 
was  probably  the  common  opinion  of 
his  time.  It  occurs  also  in  Lucre- 
tius : 

Terraquo  ut  in  media  mundi  regione  quiescal 
Evancscere  pauUatim,  ct  decrescere,  pondu.s 
Convenit  ;  atque  aliainiiaturamsubter  habere, 
Et  ineuente  aevo  conjunctam  atquo  uniter  np 

tam 
Partibus  aeriis  mundi,  qii/lius  insita  vivit 
Propterea,  non  est  oneri,  nequo  d?priMiit  au 

ras ; 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


45 


8  lie  biiifleth  up  "  the  waters 

n  Ge.  1.  6,7.  I'r.  30.4. 

ITt  sua   quoiquo  boinini   nullo  sunt   pondero 

membra, 
Nee  caput  est  oneri  oollo,  nee  doiiique  totum 
Corporus  in  poilibus  pondus  sentimua  iiiessc. 
V   535. 

In  this  jKissage  the  sense  is,  that  the 
earth  is  self-sustained  ;  that  it  is  no 
burden,  or  that  no  one  part  is  burden- 
some to  another— as  in  man  the  limbs 
are  not  burdensome,  the  head  is  not 
licavy,  nor  the  whole  frame  burden- 
some to  the  feet.  So,  again,  Lucretius 
says,  ii.  602  : 

^''!*"5'7''''^''''^  Grajum  docti  cecinere  poeta", 
Acris  in  spatio  magnam  pendere — 
Tellurem,  neque  posse  in  lerra  sistere  terram. 

"  in  ether  poised  she  hangs 

Unpropt  by  earth  beneath.' 
So  Ovid  says  : 

Ponderibus  librata  suis. 
Self-poised  and  self-balanced. 
And  again,  Fastor.  vi.  269  : 

Terra  pilae  similis,  nullo  fulcimine  nixa, 
/Ere  subjecto  tam  grave  pendet  onus. 

From  passages  like  this  occurring 
occasionally  in  the  classic  writers,  it 
is  evident  that  the  true  figure  of  the 
earth  had  early  engaged  the  atten- 
tion of  men,  and  that  occasionally 
the  truth  on  this  subject  was  before 
their  minds,  though  it  was  neitiier 
wrought  into  a  system  nor  sustained 
then  by  sufficient  evidence  to  make 
it  an  article  of  established  belief. 
The  description  liere  given  is  appro- 
priate now;  and  had  Job  understood 
all  that  is  now  known  of  astronomy, 
]iia  language  would  have  been  appro- 
priate to  express  just  conceptions  of 
the  greatness  and  majesty  of  God.  It 
is  proof  of  amazing  power  and  great- 
ness that  he  has  thus  "hung"  the 
earth,  the  planets,  the  vast  sun  him- 
self, upon  nothing,  and  that  by  his 
own  power  he  sustains  and  eoverns 
all. 

8  He  hindeth  up  the  waters  in  his 
thici:  clouds.  That  is,  he  seems  to  do 
it,  or  to  collect  the  waters  in  tiie 
clouds,  as  in  bottles,  or  vessels.  The 
clouds  appear  to  hold  the  waters,  as  I 


in    his    thick    clouds  ;    and    the 
cloud  is  not  rent  under  them. 

if  bound  up,  until  he  is  pleased  to  send 
them    drop  by    drop  upon    the   earth. 
U  ^ind.  the  cloud  is  not  rent  under  them. 
The  wonder  which  Job  here  expresses 
is,  that   so  largo  a   quantity  of  water 
as   is   poured  down   from  the    clouds, 
should   be  held  suspended  in   the  air 
without  seeming  to   rend  the  cloud, 
and  frilling  all   at   once.    His  image 
is  that   of  .1    bottle,  or    vessel,    filled 
with  water,  suspended  in  the  air,  and 
which  is  not  rent.     Wliat  were  the 
views    which   he  had   of  the   clouds, 
of  course  it  is  impossible  now  to  say. 
If  he  regarded  them    as  they  are,  as 
vapors,  or  if  he  considered  them  to  be 
a    more   solid    substance,  capable  of 
holding  water,  there  was  equal  ground 
for  wonder.     In  the  former  case,  his 
amazement  would  have  arisen  from 
the   fact,  that    so  light,  fragile,   and 
evanescent    a    substance     as     vapor 
should  contain  so  large  a  quantity  of 
water;  in  the  latter  case,  his  wonder 
would    have  been   that  such   a   sub- 
stance should  distil   its  contents  drop 
by  drop.     There  is  equal  reason   for 
admiring  the  wisdom  of  God  in  the 
production  of  rain,  now  that  the  cause 
is  understood.     The   clouds  are  col- 
lections   of  vapors.       They    contain 
moisture,    or    vapor,   wliich    ascends 
from  the  earth,  and  which  is  held  in 
suspension  when  in  small  particles  in 
the  clouds,  as  when  a  room  is  swept, 
the  small  particles   of  dust  will    bo 
seen    to   float   in    the   room.      Wlien 
these    small    particle.s    are   attracted, 
and  form  masses  as  large  as  drops,  tlx; 
air  will  no  longer  sustain  them,  and 
they  fall   to    the   earth.     Man  never 
could  have  devised  a  way  for  causing 
rain;    and    the    mode    in    which    it 
is    provided  that  large  quantities    ol 
water  shall  be  borne  from  one  phi';" 
to  another   in    the  air,  and   made   to 
fall  when  it  is  needed,  by  which  tin- 
vapors  that  ascend   from    the    ocean 
shall  not  be  suflered  to  fall  again  into 
the  ocean,  but  shall  be  carried  on   t.j 
the  land,  is  adapted  to  excite  our  ad- 
miration of  the  wisdom  of  God  now. 


46 


JOB. 


9  He  holdeth  back  the  face  of 
his  throne,  and  spreadeth  his 
cloud  ''  upon  it. 

a  Ps.  97.  2. 

no    less  than  it   was    in   the  time  of 
Job. 

9.  He  holdeth  hack  the  face  of  his 
throne.  That  is,  lie  does  not  exhibit 
it — he  covers  it  with  clouds.  The 
idea  seems  to  be,  that  God  sometimes 
comes  fortli  and  manifests  himself  to 
mankind,  but  that  he  comes  encom- 
passed witli  clouds,  so  that  his  throne 
cannot  be  seen.  So  in  Ps.  xviii.  11, 
**  He  made  darkness  his  secret  place, 
liis  pavilion  round  about  him  were 
dark  waters  and  thick  clouds  of  the 
skies."  God  is  often  represented  as 
encompassed  with  clouds,  or  as  ac- 
companied with  tempests.  ^  And 
spreadeth  his  cloud  upon  it.  That  is, 
so  that  it  cannot  be  seen.  There  is 
much  poetic  beauty  in  this  image. 
It  is,  that  tlie  clouds  are  made  to  con- 
ceal the  splendor  of  the  throne  of 
God  from  the  sight  of  man,  and  that 
all  their  sublimity  and  grandeur,  as 
they  roll  on  one  another,  and  all  their 
beauty  when  painted  with  so  many 
colors  in  the  evening,  are  designed 
to  hide  that  throne  from  mortal  eyes. 
No  one  sees  God  ;  and  though  it  is 
manifest  that  he  is  every  where  em- 
ployed, and  that  becomes  forth  with 
amazing  grandeur  in  the  works  of 
creation  and  providence,  yet  lie  is 
himself  invisible. 

10.  He  hath  coinpasscd  the  zcatcrs 
with  bounds.  The  word  rendered 
compassed  (Stl,  or  ^^t^),  means  to  de- 
scribe a  circle — to  mark  out  witli  a 
compa.ss  ;  and  the  reference  is  to  the 
form  of  the  horizon,  which  appears 
as  a  circle,  and  which  seems  to  be 
marked  out  with  a  compass.  A  sim- 
ilar idea  Milton  has  beautifully  ex- 
pressed in  his  account  of  the  creation  : 

"  Then  staid  the  fervid  wheels,  and   in   liis 
hand 
He  took  the  golden  compasses,  prepared 
In  God's  eternal  store,  to  circumscribe 
This  universe,  and  all  created  things  : 
One  foot  he  centered,  and  the  otlier  turned 
Uound  through  the  vast  profundity  obscure  ; 


10  He  hath  compa.-scd  the 
waters  with  bounds,  '  until  tlie 
'  day  and  night  come  to  an  end. 

h  Pr.  8.  29.  1  end  of  light  with  durknegi: 


And  said,  '  Thus  far  extend  thy  boumlB, 
This  be  thy  just  circumference,  O  world  !'  " 
Par.  Lost,  B.  vii 

In  the  passage  before  us,  we  nave  a 
statement  of  the  ancient  views  of 
geography,  and  of  the  outer  limits  ot 
the  world.  The  earth  was  regarded 
as  a  circular  plane,  surrounded  by 
waters,  and  those  waters  encompassed 
with  perpetual  night.  This  region  o. 
night — this  outer  limit  of  the  world, 
was  regarded  as  at  the  outer  verge  ot 
the  celestial  hemisphere,  and  on  this 
the  concave  of  heaven  seemed  to  rest. 
See  Virgil,  Geor.  i.  247. 

Illic,  ut  pcrhibent,  aut  intempesta  silet  nox 
Semper,  et  obtenta  densantur,  nocte  tenehrae; 
Aut  redit  a  nobis  Aurora,  diemque  reduoit. 

No  viaps  are  preserved  constructed 
at  so  early  an  age  as  the  time  of  Job  • 
but  maps  have  been  constructed  from 
the  descriptions  in  Strabo,  Herodotus, 
and  others,  which  furnish  illustra- 
tions of  the  prevailing  views  on  the 
subject  of  geography  in  their  times. 
The  oldest  geographical  writer  among 
the  Romans  is  Mela,  who  lived  in 
the  reign  of  Claudius,  and  who  died 
A.  D.  54.  In  his  work,  De  Situ  Orbis, 
he  gives  a  description  of  the  world 
according  to  the  prevailing  views, 
and  probably  embodied  the  results  of 
former  investigations  and  discoveries. 
"We  find  hiu)  adopting,  in  it.*  fullest 
extent,  the  belief  of  a  circumaudiient 
ocean  ;  and  when  he  speaks  of  'the 
high  earth  in  this  middle  part  of  it,' 
and  describes  the  sea  as  going  under 
and  washing  round  it,  we  are  led  to 
believe,  that  he  viewed  the  earth  as 
a  sort  of  cone,  or  as  a  high  mountnir. 
raised  by  its  elevation  above  the  abyss 
of  waters.  Having  made  a  vague 
division  of  the  world  into  East,  West, 
and  North,  he  distributed  it  into  five 
zones,  two  temperate,  one  torrid,  and 
two  frigid.  Only  the  first  two  were 
habitable  ;  and  that  on  the  South  was 
inaccessible   to   man,   on    account,  of 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


47 


the  torrid  regions  intervening.  Ac- 
'.;or(iingto  this  system,  however,  there 
vvas  on  that  side  anotlier  earth,  in- 
hahiKul  by  people  wlioni  he  calls  .^/i- 
tichthoncs,  from  their  opposite  posi- 
tion with  respect  to  that  part  which 
we  inhabit.  The  form  and  bonndaries 
of  the  known  and  .labitablo  eartli  are 
thus  delineated  : — The  Mediterra- 
nean, with  its  branches  of  the  Straits, 
the  Kuxine,  and  the  Paliis  Mccotis  ;  its 
great    tributaries,   the    Nile  and  the 


Tanais — these  condjine,  in  his  con- 
ception, to  form  the  grand  line  by 
which  the  universe  is  divided.  The 
Mediterranean  itselfseparates  Europe 
from  Africa  ;  and  these  continents 
are  bounded  on  tiie  East,  the  former 
by  the  Tanais,  tlie  latter  by  the  Nile  ; 
all  beyond  or  to  the  East  of  these 
limits  was  Asia."  The  following  cut 
is  {)robably  a  correct  representation  of 
his  system,  and  gives  the  view  of  the 
world  vvliich  prevailed  in  his  time. 


4S 


lOB. 


The  aijf-ient  Arahs  supposed  tlie  earth 
to  be  encoiiipussed  wilh  an  ocean. 
This  uueati  was  called  the  "sea  of 
darkness  ;"  and  the  Northern  sea  was 
regarr'td  as  particularly  pitchy  and 
gloomy,  and  was  called  "the  sea  of 
pitchy  darkness."  Edrisi,  a  dis- 
tingu.shed  Arabic  geographer  of  the 


middle  ages,  supposed  tliat  the  land 
floated  on  the  sea,  only  a  part  of  ii 
appearing  above  the  water,  like  an 
egg  floating  in  the  water.  The  fol- 
lowing cut,  taken  from  an  Arabian 
manuscript,  will  furnish  an  interesting 
view  of  the  prevailing  conceptions  of 
tlie  figure  of  the  world  in  his  time  : 


1  Mountains    of    the     4  Sefala  (Sofala.) 

Moon  and   Sources     5  Al-Wak  Wak. 

of  the  Nile. 
3  Berl)ara     (kingdom 

of  Adel.) 
3  Al-Zung    (Zangue- 

bar) 


9  Al-Yeman  (Arabia  14  Al-IIabesh (Ethiopia 
Feli.v.)  Abyssinia.) 

6  Serendecb       (Cey-  10  Tehama.  15  AINiiba  (Nubia.) 
Ion.)                               11   Al-Hejaz  (Arabia   It)  Al-Tajdeen. 

7  Ai-Comor     (Muda-      Eeserla.)  17  Al-Bcjah. 
gascar.)                       12  Al-Shuj,ir  (Seeer.)    18  Al-Saneed      (Upper 

6  A-Dasi.  -     13  Al-Imama  (Yama-      Egypt,  Said  ) 

ma.) 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


49 


19  Al-ouhat  what  (Oa- 
sis.) 

20  fJuwas. 

21  Kiiriun 

22  B.l.id  Al-lemlum. 

23  liflad  Mufrada. 

24  Belad  Nemaneh. 

25  .■\1-Mulita  u  Sinha- 
jeh. 

2C  Curan  (Karooan, 
Kureiie.) 

27  Nogroland. 

28  .'M-dous  Nera. 

29  Al-MughrubAlAm- 
keen  (Mogreb  tlie 
West.) 

30  AtVeekeea  (Africa.) 

31  Bclad  El  Gerid 
(Date  Country.) 


32  Soharee,  Bereneek 
(or  Desert  of  Bcre- 
nike.) 

33  Missur  (Egypt.) 

34  Al-Sham  (Syria.) 

35  Al-Irak  (Persian 
empire.) 

36  Fars  (Persia  Pro- 
pnr.) 

37  Kirnian(Carmania.) 

38  Altazeh. 
59  Mughan. 

40  Al-Sunda  (Scindi.) 

41  .■\1-Hind  (India.) 

42  Al-Seen  (China.) 

43  Khorasan. 

44  Al-Boharu8. 

45  Azerbijan  (Media.) 

46  Khuwarizm. 

47  Al-Shash. 


48  Khirkeez. 

49  Al-Sefur 

50  Al-Tibut  (Tibet.) 

51  Al-Nufuz  Izz. 

52  Kurjeea  (Georgia.) 

53  Keymak. 

54  KuUioea. 

55  Izzea. 

56  Azkush. 

57  Turkesh. 

58  Iturab. 

59  Bulghar  (Bulgaria.) 

60  Al-.Mutenah. 

61  Yajooj  (Gog.) 

62  Majooj  (Magog.) 

63  Asiatic  (Russia.) 

64  Bejeerut. 

65  Al-Alman. 

66  Al-Khuzzus  Khosrs 
(Caspian  Sea.) 


C7  Turkea  (Turkey.) 

68  Albeian  (Albania.) 

69  Makeduneeah    (Ma- 
cedonia.) 

70  Baltic  Sea 

71  Jenubea      (probably 
Sweden.) 

72  Germania     (Germa- 
ny.) 

73  Denmark. 

74  Afransccah(France.) 

75  Felowiah  (Norway.) 

76  Burtea  or   Burtenea 
(Britain.) 

77  Corsica,       Szrdinia, 
&c. 

78  Italy. 

79  Ashkerineah  (partaf 
Spain,  Q.  Andalusia.) 


A  map  of  the  world,  constructed  dur- 
ing the  Crusades,  and  embodying  tlie 
views  of  the  world  prevailing  then, 
e.xhibits  the  world,  also,  as  surround- 
ed by  a  dark  ocean  on  every  side — 
mare  tenebrosum — and  may  be  intro- 
duced as  an  illustration  of  this  passage 
in  Job.  It  is  the  map  of  Sanudo,  an- 
nexed to  Bongar's  "  Gesta  Dei  per 
Francos."  In  this  map,  Jerusalem, 
according  to  the  prevailing  views, 
"  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  world, 
as  the  point  to  which  every  other  ob- 
ject is  to  be  referred;  the  earth  is 
made  a  circle,  surrounded  by  the 
ocean,  the  siiores  of  which  are  rep- 
resented as  every  where  nearly  equi- 
distant from  that  spiritual  capital,  the 
site  of  wliich  is,  indeed,  remarkable 
for  its  relation  to  the  three  continents, 
Asia,  Europe,  and  Africa.  Persia 
stands  in  its  proper  place  ;  but  India, 
under   the  n)odifications  of  Greater 


and  Lesser,  is  confusedly  repeated  at 
different  points,  while  the  river  Indus 
is  mentioned  in  the  text  as  the  East- 
ern boundary  of  Asia.  To  the  North, 
the  castle  of  Gog  and  Magog,  an  Ara- 
bian feature,  crowns  a  vast  range  of 
mountains,  within  which,  it  is  said, 
that  the  Tartars  had  been  imprisoned 
by  Alexander  the  Great.  The  Cas- 
pian appears,  with  the  bordering 
countries  of  Georgia,  Hyrcania,  and 
Albania;  but  these  features  stand 
nearly  at  the  Northern  boundary  of 
the  habitable  earth.  Africa  has  a  sea 
to  the  South,  stated,  however,  to  be 
inaccessible,  on  account  of  the  in- 
tensity of  the  heat.  The  European 
countries  stand  in  their  due  place,  not 
even  excepting  Russia  and  Scandi- 
navia, though  some  oversights  are 
observable  in  the  manner  in  which 
the  two  are  connected  together." 


50 


JOB. 


Oritns 


A  similar  view  prevails  among  the 
modern  Egyptians.  "  Of  geography, 
the  Egyptians,  in  general,  and,  with 
very  few  exceptions,  the  b(!st  in- 
structed among  them,  have  scarcely 
any  knowledge.  Some  few  of  the 
learned  venture  to  assert  that  the 
earth  is  a  globe,  but  they  are  opposed 
by  a  great  majority  of  the  'OolAma. 
The  common  opinion  of  all  the 
Moos'lims  is,  that  the  earth  is  an  al- 
most plane  expanse,  surrounded  by 
the  ocean,  which  they  say   is  encom- 


passed by  a  chain  of  mountains  called 
Cka'f."  Lane's  Modern  Egyptians, 
vol.  i.  p.  281.  A  similar  view  of  the 
world  prevails,  also,  now  among  the 
Independent  Nestorians,  which  may 
be  regarded  as  the  ancient  prevailing 
opinion  in  Persia,  handed  down  by 
tradition.  "  According  to  their  views 
of  geography,"  says  Dr.  Grant,  "  the 
earth  is  a  vast  plain,  surrounded  by 
the  ocean,  in  which  a  Icviathaji  \-)\a.y3 
around,  to  keep  the  water  in  motion, 
and    fircvent    its  becoming    stagnant 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


51 


1 1   Tlie  pillars  of  heaven  trem- 

a  He.  12.  26. 


ami  putrid  ;  and  this  leviathan  is  of 
sucli  enormous  length,  tliat  his  head 
follows  liis  tail  in  the  circuit  round 
the  earth  !  That  I  had  crossed  the 
ocean,  where  1  must  have  encounter- 
ed the  monster,  was  a  thing  almost 
incredible."  The  Nestorians,  p.  100. 
In  ancient  times,  it  was  regarded  as 
impossible  to  penetrate  far  into  the 
sea  surrounding  the  earth,  on  account 
of  the  thick  darkness,  and  it  was  be- 
lieved that  after  sailing  for  any  con- 
siderable distance  on  that  sea,  the 
light  would  wholly  fail.  In  the  ninth 
century,  the  Arabic  historians  tell  us, 
that  the  brothers  Almagrurim  sailed 
from  Lisbon  due  v/est,  designing,  if 
possible,  to  discover  the  countries 
beyond  the  "  sea  of  darkness."  For 
ten  or  eleven  days,  they  steered 
westward  ;  but,  seeing  a  storm  ap- 
proaching, the  light  faint,  and  the  sea 
ti.Mupestuous,  they  feared  that  they 
had  come  to  the  dark  boundaries  of 
the  earth.  They  turned,  therefore, 
south,  sailed  twelve  days  in  that  di- 
rection, and  came  to  an  island  which 
they  called  Ganam,  or  the  island  of 
birds,  but  the  flesh  of  these  birds  was 
too  bitter  to  be  eaten.  They  sailed  on 
twelve  days  farther,  and  came  to 
another  island,  the  king  of  which  as- 
sured them  that  their  pursuit  was 
vain  ;  th.at  liis  father  had  sent  an  ex- 
pedition for  the  same  purpose  ;  but 
that,  after  a  month's  sail,  the  light  had 
wholly  failed,  and  they  had  been 
oljliged  to  return.  A  great  amount 
"t"  interesting  and  valuable  informa- 
tion, on  the  ancient  views  of  the 
geography  oftiie  world,  may  be  seen 
in  the  Encyclopedia  of  Geography, 
Vol.  i.  pp.  tj-6d.  It  is  not  easy  to  as- 
certain what  were  the  exact  views  in 
the  time  of  Job,  but  it  is  (iiiitc  proba- 
ble, from  the  passage  before  us,  that 
the  earth  was  supposed  to  be  sur- 
rounded by  an  ocean,  and  that  the 
outer  limits  were  encompassed  with 
deep  and  impenetrable  darkness. 
1i  UiU'd  ihe  day  and  night  come  to  iin 
end.     RIarg.  end  of  light  icith  dark- 


ble,  "  and  are  astonished  at  his 
reproof. 

ness.  The  true  meaning  is,  to  the 
confines  of  light  and  darkness.  To 
the  end,  or  extremity  (nipSP)  — per- 
fection, completion)  of  the  light  with 
the  darkness;  that  is,  where  the  light 
terminates  in  the  darkness.  Wkeve 
that  limit  was,  or  ho^o  the  sun  was 
supposed  to  pass  around  it,  or  could 
pass  over  it,  without  illuminating  it, 
it  is  now  impossible  to  ascertain. 
The  prevailing  views  on  geography 
and  astronomy  must  have  been  very 
obscure,  and  there  must  have  been 
many  tilings  which  they  could  not 
pretend  to  comprehend  or  explain. 

11.  The  pillars  of  heaven  tremble. 
Thai  is,  the  mountains,  which  seem 
to  bear  up  the  heavens.  So,  among 
the  ancients.  Mount  Atlas  was  repre- 
sented as  one  of  the  pillars  of  heaven. 
Virgil  speaks  of  "  Atlas  whose  braw- 
ny back  supports  the  skies."  And 
Hesiod,  vcr.  785,  advances  the  same 
notion  : 

"  Atlas,  so  hurd  necessity  ordains, 
Great,  the  ponderous  vault  ofsturs  sustains. 
Not  fur  from  the  Ilespcrides  lie  stand.s, 
Nor  from  the  load  retracts  his  head  or  hands." 

The  word  '■reproof  in  this  verse  re- 
fers to  the  language  of  God,  as  if  spok- 
en in  anger  to  rebuke  the  mountains 
or  the  earth.  Perhaps  the  reference 
is  to  thunder,  to  storms,  and  to  winds, 
which  seem  to  be  the  voice  of  God. 
Comp.  Ps.  xxix.  3-8.  Similar  de- 
scriptions of  the  majesty  and  glory  ol 
(jod  abound  in  the  Scri|)lures,  wliere 
ho  speaks  to  the  earth,  the  mountains, 
the  liills,  and  they  tremble.  Tlius 
in  Ps.  civ.  :W  : 

Ilo  looknth  on  the  earth,  and  it  Ircnibloth; 
lie  loucheth  the  hills,  and  ihcy  smoke. 

So  in  Ilabak.  iii.  10  : 

The  mountains  saw  thee,  and  they  tromhh.'d  ; 
'i'he  overdoiving  of  ih-j  water  passed  liy  ; 
'I'lie  deep  uttered  his  voice,  and  lift  up  his 
hands  on  lii^'h. 

So  in  IS'alium  i.  5,  "The  mountains 
(juake  iit  iiiin,  and  the  hills  melt,  and 
the  earth  is  burnt  at  liis  presence." 


52 


JOB. 


12  He  "  dividcth  the  sea  with 
his  power,  and  by  his  understand- 
ing he  smiteth  through  '  the 
proud.  ' 

a  Ex.  14.  21.  Is.  51.  15.  1  yrUe. 

]2.  He  dlvideth  the  sea  with  his 
power.     Herder  renders  tliis  : 

By  his  power  he  scourgodh  the  sea, 
By  his  wisdom  he  binileth  its  pride. 

Jerome  (Vulg.),  '  By  his  power  the 
seas  are  suddenly  consregated  togetli- 
er.'  The  LXX,  'By  liis  power— 
xartTTavoi  rijr  O-ciXaaoai' — lie  makes 
the  sea  calm.'  Luther,  Vor  seiner 
Kraft  wird  das  Muer  plotzlich  unges- 
tilm — '  By  his  power  tiie  sea  becomes 
suddenly  tempestuous.'  Noycs  ren- 
ders it,  'By  his  power  he  stilleth  tiie 
sea.'  This  is  undoubtedly  the  true 
meaning.  There  is  no  allusion  here 
to  the  dividing  of  the  sea  when  tiie 
Israelites  left  Egypt  ;  but  the  idea  is, 
that  God  has  jjower  to  calm  the  tem- 
pest, and  hush  the  waves  into  peace. 
The  word  hero  used  ("5"^)  means,  to 
make  afraid,  to  terrify  ;  especially,  to 
restrain  by  threats.  See  Notes  on 
Isa.  li.  15.  Comp.  Jer.  x.x.xi.  3.J. 
The  reference  here  is  to  the  exertion 
of  the  power  of  (Jod,  by  which  lie  is 
able  to  calm  tiie  tumultuous  ocean, 
and  to  restore  it  to  re|)ose  after  a 
storm — one  of  the  most  striking  exhi- 
bitions of  omnipotence  that  can  be 
conceived  of.  11  Bi/  his  vniler.stand- 
ing.  By  his  wisdom.  11  He  smiiclh 
through.  He  scourges,  or  strikes — as 
if  to  punish.  II  The  proud.  The 
pride  of  the  sea.  Tlio  ocean  is  rep- 
resented as  enraged,  and  as  lifted  U() 
with  pride  and  rebellion.  God 
scourges  it,  rebukes  it,  and  makes  it 
calm. 

li?.  Bi/  his  spirit.  The  word  s}>i- 
"it  here  is  either  synonymous  with 
wisdiiin, — referring  to  llic  wisilom  by 
vviii'ch  God  made  the  heavens  ;  or 
with  breath — meaning,  that  he  did  it 
by  his  own  command.  Tliere  is  no 
evidence  that  Job  refers  to  the  Third 
Pcr.son  of  the  Trinity — the  Holy  Spi- 
rit— as  being  specially  engaged  in  the 
w.)rk   of  creation.     The  word  spirit 


13  By  his  spirit  he  '  hath 
garnished  the  heavens  ;  his  hand 
hath  formed  the  crooked  ser- 
pent. 


b  Da.  4.  37. 


c  Ps.  33.  6,  7. 


is  often  used  to  denote  one's  self; 
and  the  meaning  here  is,  that  God. 
had  done  it.  This  was  one  of  the 
exhibitions  of  his  power  and  skill. 
H  He  hath  garnished  the  heavens.  He 
has  formed  the  stars  which  constitute 
so  beautiful  an  ornament  of  the  heav- 
ens. IT  His  hand  hath  formed  the 
crooked  serpent.     Or,  rather,  the^ec- 

ing  serpent — H"'?  ^H^S-  ^^'^  Notes 
on  Isa.  xxvii.  1.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  Job  refers  here  to  one  ot 
the  constellations,  which  it  seems 
was  then  known  as  the  serpent  or 
dragon.  The  practice  of  forming 
pictures  of  the  heavens,  with  a  some- 
what fanciful  resemblance  to  animals, 
was  one  of  the  most  early  devices  of 
astronomy,  and  was  evidently  knowr» 
in  the  time  of  Job.  Comp.  Notes  on 
ch.  i.\.  0.  The  object  was,  probably, 
to  aid  the  memory  ;  and  though  the 
arrangement  is  entirely  arbitrary,  and 
the  resemblance  wholly  fanciful,  yet 
it  is  still  continued  in  the  works  of 
astronomy,  as  a  convenient  iieij)  to 
the  memory,  and  as  iiiding  in  the 
description  of  the  heavenly  bodies. 
This  is  probably  the  same  constella- 
tion which  is  described  by  Virgil,  in 
language  that  strikingly  resembles 
thai  liere  used  by  Job  : 

iMaxImus  hie  llc.vii  simioso  chil/ilur  aii^'uis 
(.'iiciiiii,  peniuc  dims  in  moroin  llumini.s  Arclos, 
Arctos  oceani  inetuenlo.-i  aviuore  tiii^'i. 

Ocin:  i.  244. 

Aiouiiil  our  iridi'  the  spiry  Dra^'on  g'idc.s. 
And,  hkc  a  windin;;  stream,  the  IJears  divide.s  ; 
'I'iie  less  and  ^'reatcr,  who  liy  Fate's  decree 
Ahhof  I'j  die  henealh  the  Southern  sea. 

DllYUE.N. 

The  figure  of  the  Serpent,  or  "the 
Dragon,"  is  still  one  of  the  constella- 
tions of  the  heavens,  and  there  can 
be  little  doubt  that  it  is  the  same  that 
is  referred  to  in  this  ancient  book. 
On  the  celestial  globes  it  is  drawn 
between  tiie  Ursa  Major  and  Ce- 
pheus,  and  is  ni;ide  to  embrace   the 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


53 


14  Lo,  tliese  arc  parts  -^  of  liis  ;  heard  of  him  ?  but  the  thunder 


waj's  ;  but  how  little  a  portion  is 

a  1  Co.  13.  9,  12. 

pole  of  tlie  ecliptic  in  its  convolutions. 
Tlic  head  of  the  monster  is  under 
the  foot  of  Hercules;  then  tliere  is  a 
cuil  tending  eastwardly  about  17^ 
north  of  Lyra;  then  he  winds  north- 
wardly about  14^  to  the  second  coil, 
where  he  reaches  almost  to  the  gir- 
dle of  Cepheus  ;  then  he  loops  down 
and  makes  a  third  coil  somewhat  in 
the  shape  of  tiie  letter  U,  about  15'-' 
below  the  first  ;  and  then  he  holds  a 
westerly  course  for  about  13^,  and 
passes  between  the  head  of  the  Great- 
er and  the  tail  of  the  Lesser  Bear. 
The  constellation  has  eighty  stars  ; 
including  four  of  the  second  magni- 
tude, seven  of  the  third,  and  twelve 
of  the  fourth.  The  origin  of  the 
name  given  to  this  constellation,  and 
the  reason  why  it  was  given,  are  un- 
known. It  has  been  supposed  that 
the  Dragon  in  his  tortuous  windings 
is  symbolical  of  the  oblique  course  of 
the  stars,  and  particularly  that  it  was 
designed  to  designate  the  motion  of 
the  pole  of  the  equator  around  the 
pole  of  the  ecliptic,  produced  by  the 
jireces^ion  of  the  equinoxes.  It  may 
be  doubted,  however,  whether  this  is 
not  a  refinement  ;  for  the  giving  of  a 
name  for  such  a  cause,  must  liave 
been  based  on  knowledge  much  in 
advance  of  that  which  was  possessed 
wlien  tiiis  name  was  given.  Mytho- 
logists  say,  that  Draco  was  the  watch- 
ful dragon  which  guarded  the  golden 
apples  in  the  garden  of  the  Hesperi- 
des,  near  Mount  Atlas,  in  Africa,  and 
which  was  slain  by  Hercules.  Juno 
is  said  to  have  taken  the  Dragon  up 
to  heaven,  and  to  have  made  a  con- 
stellation of  him,  as  a  reward  for  his 
faithful  services.  The  origin  of  the 
division  of  the  stars  into  constella- 
tions is  now  unknown.  It  has  been 
known  from  the  earliest  times,  and 
is  found  in  all  nations  ;  and  it  is  re- 
markable that  about  the  same  mode 
of  division  is  observed,  and  about  the 
game  names  are  given  to  the  constel-  | 


of  his  power    who   can    under- 
stand ? 


lations.  This  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate that  they  had  a  common  origin  ; 
and  probably  that  is  to  be  found  in 
Chaldea,  Arabia,  or  Egypt.  Sir 
Isaac  Newton  regards  Egypt  as  the 
parental  point;  Sir  William  Jones, 
Chaldea  ;  Mr.  Montucla,  Arabia. 
There  is  probably  no  book  earlier 
than  this  of  Job,  and  the  mention 
Jiere  of  the  names  of  the  constella- 
tions is  probably  the  first  on  record. 
If  so,  then  the  first  intimation  that 
we  have  of  them  was  from  Arabia  ; 
but  still  it  may  have  been  that  Job 
derived  liis  views  from  Egypt  or 
Chaldea.  Tht  sense  in  the  passage 
before  us  is,  that  the  greatness  and 
glory  of  God  are  seen  by  forming  the 
beautiful  and  the  glorious  constella- 
tions that  adorn  the  sky. 

14.  Lo,  these  ore  parts  of  his  ways. 
This  is  a  small  portion  of  his  works. 
We  see  only  the  outlines,  the  surface 
of  his  mighty  doings.  TJiis  is  still 
true.  With  all  the  advances  which 
have  been  made  in  science,  it  is  still 
true  that  we  see  but  a  small  part  of 
his  works.  What  we  are  enabled  to 
trace  with  all  the  aids  of  science, 
compared  with  what  is  unseen  and 
unknown,  may  be  like  the  analysis 
of  a  single  drop  of  water  compared 
with  the  ocean.  IT  But  how  little  a 
portion  is  heard  of  him  ?  Or,  rather, 
'  But  what  a  faint  whisper  have  wo 
heard  of  him  !'  Literally,  '  What  a 
whisper  of  a  word,' — "'3'^  I'^a'IJTTa!! 
The  word  Y"^!^.  means  a  transient 
sound  rapidly  passing  away  ;  and 
then  a  ichisper.  See  Notes  on  ch.  iv. 
12.  A  '  whisper  of  a  word  '  means  a 
word  not  fully  and  audibly  spoken,  but 
which  is  ichispered  into  the  ear  ;  and 
the  beautiful  idea  here  is,  that  what 
we  see  of  God,  and  what  he  makes 
known  to  us,  compared  with  the  full 
and  glorious  reality,  bears  about  the 
same  relation  which  the  gentlest 
w^hisper  does  to  words  that  arc  fully 


54 


JOB. 


spoken.  II  The  thwMler  of  his  power 
toko  can  understand  ?  It  is  probable 
that  there  is  here  a  comparison  be- 
tween the  gentle  '  whisper  '  and  tlie 
mighty  'tiiunder;'  and  that  tiie  idea 
is,  if,  instead  of  speaking  to  us  in 
gentle  whispers,  and  giving  to  us  in 
that  way  some  faint  indications  of  his 
nature,  he  were  to  speak  out  in  thun- 
der, who  could  understand  him  ?  If, 
when  he  speaks  in  such  faint  and 
gentle  tones,  we  are  so  much  im- 
pressed with  a  sense  of  his  greatness 
and  glory,  who  would  not  be  over- 
whelmed if  he  were  to  speak  out  as 


in  thunder  ?  Thus  explained,  the 
expression  does  not  refer  to  literal 
thunder,  though  there  is  much  in  the 
heavy  peal  to  excite  adoring  views  of 
God,  and  much  that  to  Job  must  have 
been  inexplicable.  It  may  be  asked, 
even  now,  wlio  can  understand  all 
the  philosophy  of  the  thunder  ?  But 
with  much  more  impressivenoss  it 
may  be  asked,  as  Job  probably  meant 
to  ask,  who  could  understand  the 
great  God,  if  he  spoke  out  with  the 
full  voice  of  his  thunder,  instead  of 
speaking  in  a  gentle  whisper  ? 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 


It  would  seem  to  have  been  natural  that  Zophar  should  have  replied  here  to  what  Job  had 
said  ;  and  the  commencement  of  this  chapter  appears  to  indicate  that  there  had  been  a  pause 
made  here  by  Job,  under  an  expectation  that  he  would  speak.  It  was  now  his  turn,  in  the 
regular  course  of  the  controversy,  but  he  was  silent.  Bildad  had  made  a  feeble  reply  (ch.  xxv.), 
and  Zophar  did  not  attempt  to  say  any  thing,  and  the  three  friends  return  to  the  controversy  no 
more.  Seeing,  therefore,  that  nothing  was  said  in  reply,  Job  resumes  his  remarks,  and  urges 
his  sentiments  at  length.     This  reaches  to  the  close  of  ch.  xxxi. 

Chs.  xxvii.  and  xxviii.  have  immediate  reference  to  the  controversy  which  had  been  main- 
tained, and  contain  such  suggestions  as  seem  to  have  satisfied  the  friends  of  Job  that  he  was 
right  in  his  main  positions,  or  at  least  such  as  to  induce  them  to  remain  silent.  The  following 
points  are  introduced  and  discussed  in  this  chapter. 

He  begins  with  a  most  solemn  asseveration  that  he  would  speak^only  the  truth,  and  would 
never  be  found  the  advocate  for  error.  For  the  sincerity  of  this  intention,  he  makes  a  direct 
appeal  to  the  living  God,  vs.  2-4.  He  then  as  solemnly  re-asserts  his  own  innocence,  and  says 
that  he  could  not  justify  the  sentiments  which  had  been  advanced,  nor  could  he  renounce  his 
own  consciousness  of  integrity,  and  concede,  as  bis  friends  wished  him  to,  that  his  sufferings 
were  proof  of  extraordinary  guilt,  vs.  5,  G.  He  then  proceeds  to  say,  that  he  had  no  idea  of  jus- 
tifying the  wicked  or  the  hypocrite.  On  account  of  the  sentiments  which  he  had  advanced,  his 
enemies  had  charged  him  with  this  ;  but  he  denies  it  now  in  the  most  solemn  manner.  Ho 
expresses  his  abhorrence  of  a  wicked  character ;  says  that  be  believes  their  fate  will  be  all  that 
a  man  could  wish  his  enemy  to  experience,  and  expresses  a  firm  conviction  that  the  hope  of  the 
hypocrite  would  fail.  In  this  he  accorded  entirely  with  all  that  tliey  had  said,  vs.  7-10.  He 
then  states  that  be  himself  held  that  the  wicked  would  be  punished,  and  proceeds  to  defend 
that  position.  This  defence  occupies  the  remainder  of  the  chapter.  He  had  maintained,  in 
opposition  to  hi.'!  friends,  that  it  was  not  a  regular  and  universal  principle  of  the  divine  admin- 
istration that  men  were  dealt  with  in  this  world  according  to  their  character,  and  that  no  certain 
conclusion  could  be  drawn  respecting  a  man's  character  from  the  divine  dealings  with  him  in 
this  world.  In  particular,  he  had  shown,  by  an  appeal  to  facts,  that  the  wicked  live  and  pros- 
per ;  that  they  often  reach  a  peaceful  old  age,  and  die  surrounded  by  every  circumstance  of 
affluence  and  honor.  The  appeal  to  these  facts,  which  his  friends  could  not  deny,  had  done 
much  to  settle  the  controversy.  But  now,  having  silenced  them,  he  admits  that  tliis  was  not 
an  universal  principle  ;  stales  that  he  does  not  mean  to  say  that  men  are  ??fUPr  dealt  with  accord- 
ing to  their  crimes,  or  to  maintain  tliat  God  has  no  moral  government  in  this  world.  He  goes 
on,  therefore,  to  show(vs.  11-23)  that  it  was  a  great  principle  of  the  divine  administration  that 
the  wicked  would  be  destroyed  ;  that  if  they  were  prospered  for  a  time,  destruction  would 
certainly  come,  and  that  they  could  not  hope  to  escape  with  impunity.     He  does  not  deny  his 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


55 


main  position  Ihnt  the  innocent  purtor,  and  that  the  wicked  are  prospered,  nor  does  he  ndniit  thcif 
main  position,  that  preat  sutTerings  are  necessarily  proof  of  ^reat  guilt;— Iiiit  he  ducf  concede 
that  there  was  truth  in  the  general  principle  that  the  wicked  would  be  punished.  This  he  was 
not  disposed  to  deny  ;  and  having  showed  them  heforo  that  their  main  positions  were  wrong, 
and  their  application  of  their  position  to  him  cruel  and  uncalled  for,  he  now  shows  exactly 
wliere  the  truth  is,  and  concedes  that,  however  prosperous  the  wicked  may  be  for  a  time,  they 
will  certainly  be  punished.  In  this  way  the  controversy  is  brought  to  a  close.  He  states, 
therefore,  that  tliough  the  children  of  a  wicked  man  are  multiplied,  it  will  be  for  the  sword; 
though  he  heap  up  silver,  he  shall  not  be  permitted  always  to  enjoy  it ;  though  he  build  his 
house,  he  shall  soon  lie  down  in  the  dust ;  though  ho  be  prospered,  yet  he  shall  be  swept  away 
as  by  a  storm  ;  and  though  men  may  honor  him  for  a  while,j-et  they  shall  hiss  him  finally  out 
of  th?  world.  If  I  here  seems  to  be  some  inconsistency  here  with  the  views  which  he  had 
before  expressed,  they  are,  nevertheless,  not  inconsistent  with  the  general  principles  which  he 
had  maintained.  It  is  only  in  some  expressions  which  he  may  have  formerly  used  in  the  heat 
of  argument,  and  under  the  severity  of  suffering,  that  there  seems  to  be  anything  irreconcilable 
with  what  he  here  lays  down.  It  was  important  that  he  should  admit  what  he  here  states,  lest 
it  might  be  inferred  that  he  denied  altogether  the  government  of  God  over  the  world.  This  is 
one  mode  of  explaining  a  difficulty  which  has  been  folt  in  regard  to  the  meaning  of  the  latter 
part  of  this  chapter,  vs.  13-23.  See,  however,  the  Notes  on  ver.  )3.  Perhaps  the  solution 
there  suggested  will  commend  itself  to  many  minds  as  being  more  probably  correct. 


"lYJOREOVER,    Job    '  contin- 
-^'-^   ued  his  parable,  and  said, 
'2  As   God    liveth,    tcho   hath 

1  added  to  take  up. 


1.  Job  continued.  JMarg.  as  in  Heb. 
added  to  take  up.  Probably  he  had 
paused  for  Zophar  to  reply,  but  since 
he  said  nothing  he  now  resumed  his 
argument.  IT  His  parable.  A  parable 
properly  denotes  a  comparison  of  one 
thing  with  another,  or  a  fable  or  alle- 
gorical representation  from  which 
moral  instruction  is  derived.  It  was 
a  favorite  mode  of  conveying  truth 
in  the  East,  and  indeed  i.s  found  in 
all  countries.  See  Notes  on  Matth. 
xiii.  3.  It  is  evident,  however,  that 
Job  did  not  deliver  his  sentiments  in 
this  manner;  and  the  word  rendered 
Sparable'  here  ('^^J^)  means,  as  it 
often  does,  a  sententious  discourse  or 

argument.  The  word  is  used  in  the 
Scriptures  to  denote  a  parable^  pro- 
perly so  called  ;  then  a  sententious 
saying  ;  an  apothegm  ;  a  proverb  ;  or 
a  poem  or  song  See  Notes  Isa.  xiv. 
4.  It  is  rendered  here  by  the  Vul- 
gate, parabolam ;  by  ilie  LXX, 
nnnntitfoi — "  Job  spake  by  preface  ;" 
Lutlicr,  fuhr  fort — Job  continued; 
Noyes,  discourse  ;  Good,  high  argu- 
Tticnt.  The  meaning  is,  that  Job  con- 
tinued his  discourse;  but  there  is  in 
the  word  a  reference  to  the  kind  of 
discourse  which  he  employed,  as 
being  sententious  and  apothegiriatical. 


taken  away  my  judgment ;  and 
the  Almighty,  who  hath  ^  vexed 
my  soul ; 

2  made  my  soul  bitter.  Ru.  1.  20. 

2.  As  God  liveth.  A  form  of  sol- 
emn adjuration,  or  an  oath  by  the 
living  God.  '  As  certainly  as  God 
lives.'  It  is  the  form  by  which  God 
himself  often  swears.  See  Ezek.  xiv. 
16,  xxxiii.  11,  and  is  often  employed 
by  others.  1  Sam.  xx.  3,  xxv.  26. 
Tl  Who  hath  taken  away  my  judgment. 
Who  hath  rejected  my  cause,  or 
who  has  refused  me  justice  ;  that  is, 
who  has  treated  me  as  though  I  was 
guilty,  and  withholds  from  me  relief. 
The  language  is  forensic,  and  the 
idea  is,  that  he  would  make  his  sol- 
emn appeal  to  him,  even  though  he 
had  rejected  his  cause.  Perhaps 
there  is  implied  here  more  than  the 
solemnity  of  an  ordinary  oath.  A 
man  might  be  supposed  to  be  willing 
to  make  his  appeal  to  one  who  had 
shown  himself  friendly  or  favorable 
to  him,  but  he  would  manifest  more 
reluctance  to  making  his  appeal  in  an 
important  case  to  a  judge  who  had 
decided  against  him,  especially  if  that 
decision  was  regarded  as  severe,  and 
if  that  judge  had  refused  to  hear  what 
he  had  to  say  in  self-defence.  But 
Job  here  says,  that  such  was  his  con- 
fidence in  his  own  sincerity  and 
truth,  that  he  could  make  his  appeal 
to  God,  even  though  he  knew  that  he 
had    hitherto  gone   against  him,  and 


56 


JOB. 


3  All  the  while  my  breath  is 
in  me,  and  the  '  spirit  of  God  is 
in  my  nostrils, 

4  My  lips  shall  not  speak 
wickedness,  nor  my  tongue  utter 
deceit. 

5  God   forbid    that    I    should 

1  i.  e   the  breath  which  Ood  gave  him,  Ge.  2.  7. 
a  c.  2.  3,  9, 

treated  him  as  if  he  were  guilty. 
IT  Who  hath  vexed  my  soul.  Marg. 
as  in  Heb.  made  my  soul  bitter.  That 
is,  who  has  greatly  afflicted  me. 
Comp.  2  Kings  iv.  27,  Marg ,  and 
Ruth  i.  20. 

3.  ^^nd  the  spirit  of  God  is  in  my 
nostrils.  As  long  as  I  live.  The 
"  spirit  of  God"  here  means  the  breath 
that  God  breathed  into  man  when  he 
created  him.  Gen.  ii.  7.  It  would 
seem  probable  that  there  was  an  allu- 
sion to  that  fact  by  the  language  here, 
and  that  the  knowledge  of  the  way 
in  which  man  was  created  was  thus 
handed  down  by  tradition. 

4.  My  lips  shall  not  speak  wicked- 
ness. This  solemn  profession  made 
on  oath  might  have  done  something 
to  allay  the  suspicions  of  his  friends 
in  regard  to  him,  and  to  show  that 
they  had  been   mistaken  in  his  char- 

■-  acter.  It  is  a  solemn  assurance  that 
he  did  not  mean  to  vindicate  the 
cause  of  wickedness,  or  to  say  one 
word  in  its  favor;  and  that  as  long  as 
he  lived  he  would  never  be  found  ad- 
vocating it.  IT  JVor  my  tongue  utter 
deceit.  I  will  never  make  any  use  of 
sophistry  ;  I  will  not  attempt  to  make 
'  the  worse  appear  the  better  reason  ;' 
I  will  not  be  the  advocate  of  error. 
This  had  always  been  the  aim  of  Job, 
and  he  now  says  that  no  circumstance 
should  ever  induce  him  to  pursue  a 
different  course  as  long  as  he  lived. 
Probably  he  means,  also,  as  the  fol- 
lowing verse  seems  to  imply,  that  no 
consideration  should  ever  induce  him 
to  countenance  error  or  to  palliate 
wrong.  He  would  not  be  deterred 
from  expressing  his  sentiments  by 
any  dread  of  opposition,  or  even  by 
any    respect    for    hii    friends.       No 


justify  you  ;  till  I  die  I  will  not 
remove  mine  "  integrity  from 
me. 

6  My  righteousness  I  hold 
fast,  and  will  not  let  it  go  ;  my 
heart '  shall  not  reproach  me  '  so 
long  as  I  live. 


b  Ac.  24.  16. 
my  days. 


IJno.  3.  19-21. 


1  from 


friendship  which  he  might  have  for 
them  would  induce  him  to  justify 
what  he  honestly  regarded  as  error. 

5.  God  forbid.  "1^  nb"ibn  .  "  Far 
be  it  from  me."  Literally,  "  Profane 
be  it  to  me  ;"  that  is,  I  should  regard 
it  as  unholy  and  profane;  I  cannot 
do  it.  TT  That  I  should  justify  you. 
That  I  should  admit  the  correctness 
of  your  positions,  and  should  con- 
cede that  I  am  a  hypocrite.  He  was 
conscious  of  integrity  and  sincerity, 
and  nothing  could  induce  him  to 
abandon  that  conviction,  or  to  admit 
the  correctness  ofthe  reasoning  which 
they  had  pursued  in  regard  to  him. 
Coverdale  (A.  D.  1535)  has  given 
this  a  correct  translation,  "  God  for 
bid  that  I  should  grant  your  cause  to 
be  right."  ^  Till  I  die  I  will  not  re- 
move mine  integrity  from  me.  I  will 
not  admit  that  I  am  insincere  and 
hypocritical.  This  is  the  language 
of  a  man  who  was  conscious  of  integ- 
rity, and  who  would  not  be  deprived 
of  that  consciousness  by  any  plausi- 
ble representations  of  his  professed 
friends. 

6.  My  righteousness  I  hold  fast.  I 
hold  on  to  the  consciousness  of  integ- 
rity and  uprightness.  I  cannot,  will 
not,  part  with  that.  Job  had  lost  his 
property,  his  health,  and  his  domes- 
tic comforts,  but  he  had  in  all  this 
one  consolation — he  felt  that  he  waa 
sincere.  He  had  been  subjected  to 
calamity  by  God  as  if  he  were  a 
wicked  man,  but  still  he  was  resolved 
to  adhere  to  the  consciousness  of  his 
uprightness.  Property  may  leave  a 
man  ;  friends  may  forsake  him  ; 
children  may  die  ;  disease  may  attack 
him  ;  slander  may  assail  him  ;  and 
death  may  approach  him  ;  but  still  he 


CiiAPTEll  XXVII. 


57 


7  Let  mine  <yiemy  be  as  the 
wicked,  and  he  tiiat  riseth  up 
a.qainst  me  as  the  unricrhteous. 


a  Mat.  16.  26. 


may  have  in  his  bosom  one  unfailing 
nource  of  consolation  ;  he  may  have 
the  consciousness  that  his  aim  has 
been  riglit  and  pure.  That  notiiing  can 
sliake  ;  of  that,  no  storms  or  tempests, 
no  malignant  foe,  no  losses  or  dis- 
appointment, no  ridicule  or  calumny, 
can  deprive  him.  IT  My  heart  shall 
not  reproach  me.  That  is,  as  being 
insincere,  false,  hollow.  H  So  long 
as  I  live.  Marg.  from  my  days. 
So  the  Hebrew — ""2*13.  Vulg.  in 
omni  vita  mea.  Sept.,  "  I  am  not 
conscious  to  myself  of  liaving  done 
any  thing  amiss" — a'ro.Ta  nod^ai;. 
Comp.  Notes  on  1  Cor.  iv.  4.  The 
idea  is,  that  he  had  a  conscious- 
ness of  integrity,  and  that  he  meant 
to  maintain  it  as  long  as  he  lived. 

7.  Let  mine  enemy  be  as  the  icicked. 
This  is  probably  said  that  he  might 
show  that  it  was  not  his  intention  to 
justify  the  wicked,  and  that  in  all 
that  he  had  said  it  was  no  part  of  his 
purpose  to  express  approbation  of 
tlieir  course.  His  friends  had  charged 
him  with  this  ;  but  he  now  solemnly 
disclaims  it,  and  says  that  he  had  no 
such  design.  To  show  how  little  he 
meant  to  justify  the  wicked,  he  says 
that  the  utmost  that  ho  could  desire 
for  an  enemy  would  bo,  that  he  would 
be  treated  as  he  believed  the  wicked 
would  be.  A  similar  expression  oc- 
curs in  Dan.  iv.  1'.),  "  My  lord,  the 
dream  be  to  them  that  hate  thee,  and 
the  interpretation  thereof  to  thineene- 
mies  ;"  that  is,  calamities  are  coming 
upon  thee  indicated  by  the  dream, 
such  as  you  would  desire  on  your 
foes.  So  in  Judges  v.  31.  After  the 
mother  of  Siscra  had  anxiously  look- 
ed for  the  return  of  her  son  from  the 
battle,  thougii  he  was  then  slain,  the 
sacred  writer  adds,  "  So  let  all  thine 
enemies  perish,  O  Lord."  Thus 
when  a  traitor  is  executed  it  is  com- 
mon for  the  executioner  to  hold  up 
his    head    and   say,  "  So  let  all   the 


S  For  "  what  is  the  hope  of 
the  hypocrite,  though  he  hath 
gained,  when  God  taketh  away 
his  soul  ? 

enemies  of  the  king  die."  Job 
means  to  say,  that  he  had  no  sympa- 
thy with  wicked  men,  and  that  he 
believed  that  they  would  be  pimished 
as  certainly  and  as  severely  as  one 
could  desire  his  enemy  to  suffer. 
Schnurrer  supposes  that  by  the  enemy 
here  he  refers  to  his  friends  with 
whom  he  had  been  disputing ;  but 
this  is  to  give  an  unnecessarily  harsh 
construction  to  tlie  passage. 

8.  For  what  is  the  hope  of  the  hypo- 
crite 9  The  .same  sentiment  which 
Job  here  advances  had  before  beeK 
expressed  by  Bildad.  See  it  explain- 
ed in  the  Notes  on  ch.  viii.  13  seq. 
It  had  also  been  expressed  in  a  simi- 
lar manner  by  Zopliar,  Notes  ch.  xx. 
5,  and  had  been  much  insisted  on  in 
their  arguments.  Job  now  says  that 
he  fully  accords  with  that  belief.  He 
was  not  disposed  to  defend  hypocrisy  ; 
he  had  no  sympathy  for  it.  He  knew, 
as  they  did,  that  all  the  joy  of  a  hypo- 
crite would  be  temporary,  and  that 
when  death  came  it  must  vanish.  He 
wishes  that  his  remarks  should  not  be 
construed  so  as  to  make  him  the  advo- 
cate of  hypocrisy  or  sin,  and  affirms 
that  he  relied  on  a  more  solid  founda- 
tion of  peace  and  joy  than  the  Jiypo- 
crite  could  possess.  It  was  by  expla- 
nations and  admissions  such  as  these 
that  the  controversy  was  gradually 
closed,  and  when  they  came  fully  to 
understand  Job,  tliey  felt  that  they 
had  nothing  which  they  could  reply 
to  him.  IT  Though  he  hath  gained — 
^^■21  .  The  Vulgate  renders  this, -54 
avare  rapiat — "  if  he  avariciously 
seizes  upon."  The  LXX,  on  irrf/ii, 
— that  he  persistcth.  Dr.  Good,  "  Tliat 
he  should  prosper  ;"  and  so  Weinyss. 
The  Hebrew  word  (^^^)  means  pro- 
perly, to  cut  or  dash  in  pieces  ;  then 
to  tear  in  pieces,  or  to  plunder  or 
spoil ;  then  to  cut  off,  to  bring  to  an 
end,  &c.     It  is  applied  to  the  action 


58 


JOB. 


9  Will    God    hear   "   his    cry 
when  trouble  cometh  upon  him  ? 

a  Pr.  1.  '^8.  b  Mat.  13.  21. 


of  a  weaver,  who,  when  liis  web  is 
finislied,  cuts  off  the  thrum  that  binds 
it  to  the  beam.  Tiic  web  is  then 
finished;  it  is  all  woven,  and  is  tlien 
taken  from  the  loom.  Hence  it  is 
elegantly  used  to  denote  the  close  of 
life,  when  life  is  woven  or  finished 
— by  the  rapid  ])assing  of  days  like 
the  weaver's  shuttle  (Job  vii.  6),  and 
when  it  is  then,  as  it  were,  taken  out 
of  the  loom.  See  this  figure  explain- 
ed in  the  Notes  on  Isaiali  xxxviii.  lii. 
This  is  the  idea  here,  that  life  would 
be  cut  off  like  tlie  weaver's  web,  and 
that  when  that  was  done  the  hope  of 
the  hypocrite  would  be  of  no  value. 
ir  When  God  takcth  away  his  soul. 
When  he  dies.  There  has  been 
much  perplexity  felt  in  regard  to  the 
Hebrew  word  here  rendered  "  taketh 
away  ' — P'iJ!^  .  A  full  explanation 
may  be  seen  in  Schultens  and  Rosen- 
milller.  Some  suppose  it  is  the 
future  from  5^^2  for  ii^"^  — meaning  to 
draw  out,  and  that  the  idea  is,  that 
God  draws  out  this  life  as  a  sword  is 
drawn  cut  of  a  sheath.  Others,  that 
it  is  from  "^^"^ — to  he  secure,  or  tran- 
quil, or  at  rest  ;  and  that  it  refers  to 
the  time  when  (lod  shall  give  rest  in 
the  grave,  or  that  the  meaning  of  the 
word  '"'^'■^  here  is  the  same  as  3?'*iJ 
or  ^iUJ  — to  draw  out.  See  Gesenius 
on  the  word  "^^'^  .  Schnurrer  con- 
jectures that  it  is  derived  from  5Xtl3 
— to  ash,  to  demand,  and  that  the  form 
here  is  contracted  from  the  future 
PNffl'^  .  But  the  common  supposition 
is,  that  it  means  to  draic  out — in  al- 
lusion to  drawing  out  a  sword  from  a 
scabbard — thus  drawing  life  or  the 
soul  from  the  bod  v. 

9.  Will  God  hear  his  crij  when 
trouble  cometh  upon  him  ?  Coverdale 
has  rendered  this  (vs.  8,  9)  so  as  to 
make  excellent  sense,  though  not 
strictly  in  accordance  with  the  origi- 
nal. "  VViiat  hope  hath  the  liypocrite 


10  Will  he  delight  himself  in 
the  Almighty  ?  will  he  always 
'call  upon  God  \ 

though     he    have    great     good,    and 
though    God  give    him    riches    after 
his   heart's  desire  .'     Doth   God   hear 
him  the  sooner,  when  he  crieth  unto 
liini  in  his  necessity  ?"     The  object 
of  the  verse  is  to   show  the  misera- 
ble condition  of  a  wicked   man  or  a 
hypocrite.      This    is    shown    by  the 
fact  which  Job  asserts,  that  God  will 
not   hear  his  cry  when   he  feels  his 
need  of  aid,  and  when  he  is  induced 
to  call  upon  him.     This  is  true  only 
when   his  object  in  calling  upon  God 
is  merely  for  help.     If  he  has  no  re- 
lentings  for  his  sin,  and  no  real  confi- 
dence in    God;  if  he  calls  upon  him 
in  trouble,  intending  to  return  to  his  . 
sins  as  soon  as  the  trouble  is  over,  or 
if  such  is  the  state  of  his  mind  that 
God  sees   that  he  wojild  return  to  his 
sins  as  soon  as  his  calamities  cease, 
then   he   cannot  be  expected  to  hear 
him.     But  if  he  comes  with   a  peni- 
tent  heart,  and  with   a  sincere  pur- 
pose to  forsake  his  sins  and  to  devote 
himself  to  God,  there  is  no  reason  to 
doubt  that  he  would  hear  him.     The 
argument  of  Job  is  in  the  main  sound. 
It  is,  that  if  a    man  wishes  the  favor 
of  God,  and    the    assurance   that    he 
will  hear  his  prayer,  he  must  lead  a 
holy  life.    A  hypocrite  cannot  expect 
his  favor.     Comp.  Notes  on  Isa.  i.  1.5. 
10.    Will  he   delight  himself  in  the 
Jilmightii  ?     A  truly  pious  man  7cill 
delight     himself    in     the    Almighty. 
His  supreme  hajipincss  will  be  found 
in  God.     He  has  pleasure  in  the  con- 
templation  of  his  existence,  his  per- 
fections,   his    law,    and    his   govern- 
ment.  Coverdale  renders  this,  "Hath 
he  such   pleasure  and  delight  in  the 
Almighty    that   he  dare    alway   call 
upon    God  .-■"      The   idea   of  Job    is, 
that  a  hypocrite  has  not  his  delight  in 
the    Almighty;    and,    therefore,    his 
condition  is  not  such  as  /(f  would  de- 
fend or  choose.  Job  had  been  charged 
with   defending  the  character  of  the 
wicked,   and    with    maintaining  that 
they  were  the  objects  of  the  divine 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


59 


II  I  will  teach  you  'by  the 
hand  of  God  :  that  which  is  with 
the  Ahnighty  will  I  not  conceal. 

1  or,  bcinir  in. 


favor.  He  now  says  that  he  niain- 
tniiied  no  such  opinion.  He  was 
aware  that  the  only  real  and  solid 
linppiness  was  to  be  found  in  God, 
and  he  knew  that  a  hj-pocrite  would 
not  find  delight  there.  This  is  true 
to  the  letter.  A  liypocrite  has  no  real 
iiappiness  in  God.  He  sees  nothing 
in  the  divine  perfections  to  love  ; 
nothing  in  the  divine  plans  that  com- 
mands and  secures  his  aflections. 
The  hypocrite,  therefore,  is  a  misera- 
ble man.  He  professes  to  love 
what  he  does  not  love  ;  tries  to  find 
pleasure  in  what  his  heart  hates ; 
mingles  with  a  people  with  whom  he 
has  no  sympathy,  and  joins  in  ser- 
vices of  prayer  and  praise  which  are 
disgusting  and  irksome  to  his  soul. 
The  pious  man  rejoices  that  there  is 
just  such  a  God  as  Jehovah  is.  He  sees 
nothing  in  him  which  he  desires  to  be 
changed,  and  he  has  supreme  deligiit 
in  the  contemplation  of  his  perfec- 
tions. If  Will  he  ahcays  cull  upon 
God?  That  is,  he  will  not  always 
call  upon  God.  This  is  literally 
true.  The  hypocrite  prays  (1,)  when 
he  makes  a  profession  of  religion  ; 
(2,)  on  some  extraordinary  occasion — 
as  when  a  friend  is  sick,  or  when  lie 
feels  that  he  himself  is  about  to  die, 
but  he  does  not  ahcays  maintain 
habits  of  prayer.  He  suffers  his  busi- 
ness to  break  in  upon  his  times  for 
prayer  ;  neglects  secret  devotion  on 
the  slightest  pretence,  and  soon 
abandons  it  altogether.  One  of  the 
best  tests  of  character  is  the  feeling 
with  which  we  pray,  and  the  habit 
which  we  have  of  calling  on  God. 
The  man  who  loves  secret  prayer  has 
one  of  the  most  certain  evidences 
that  he  is  a  pious  man.  Comp.  Notes 
ch.  XX.  5. 

11.  I  will  teach  you  by  the  hand  of 
God.  JMarg.  "  or,  iejwo- tre."  Cover- 
dale,  "  lu  tlie  name  of  God."  So 
Tindal.    Noyes,    "  ConcT!rning     the 


12  Behold,  all  ye  yourselves 
have  seen  it ;  why  then  are  ye 
thus  altoorether  vain  ? 


hand  of  God."  Good,  "  Concerning 
the  dealings  of  God."  The  Chaldee 
renders  it  Nnbs  ri<!li33_"  By  the 
prophecy  of  God."  Luther,  "I  will 
teach  you  by  the  hand  of  God."  The 
idea  evidently  is,  that  Job  would  in- 
struct them  by  what  God  had  done. 
He  would  appeal  to  his  works,  and 
to  the  dispensations  of  his  provi- 
dence ;  and  by  the  indications  of 
wisdom  and  skill  which  were  to  be 
found  there,  he  would  derive  im- 
portant lessons  for  their  instruction 
on  the  great  principles  of  his  admin- 
istration. Accordingly,  in  the  re- 
mainder of  this  chapter,  lie  makes  his 
appeal  to  what  actually  occurs  in  the 
dispensations  of  Providence,  and  in 
the  next,  he  refers  to  various  scientific 
subjects,  evincing  the  wisdom  which 
God  had  shown  in  the  mineral  king- 
dom. The /»/7i(/ is  the  instrument  by 
which  we  accomplish  any  thing,  and 
hence  it  is  here  used  to  denote  what 
God  docs.  IT  That  ichich  is  with  the 
JlJmighty  will  I  not  conceal.  That  is, 
I  will  appeal  to  his  works,  and  show 
what  traces  of  wisdom  there  are  in 
them. 

12.  Behold,  all  ye  yourselves  have 
seen  it.  You  have  had  an  opportu- 
nity of  tracing  the  proofs  of  the  wis 
dom  of  God  in  his  works.  II  Whytlien 
are  ye  thus  altogether  zaiii.  Why  is 
it  that  you  maintain  such  opinions — 
that  you  evince  no  more  knowledge 
of  his  government  and  plans — that 
you  argue  so  inconclusively  about 
him  and  his  administration  .-'  Why, 
since  you  have  had  an  opportunity  of 
observing  the  course  of  events,  do 
you  maintain  that  sufl'ering  is  neces- 
sarily a  proof  of  guilt,  and  that  God 
deals  with  all  men,  in  this  life,  ac- 
cording to  their  character  ?  A  close 
observation  of  the  course  of  events 
would  have  taught  you  otherwise 
Job  proceeds  to  state  what  he  suj)- 
poses  to  he  the  exact  truth  on  the  sub- 


60 


JOB. 


13  This  is   the  portion  of  a 

ject,  and  particularly  aims,  in  the  fol- 
lowing chapter,  to  show  that  the 
ways  ot'God  are  inscrutable,  and  that 
we  cannot  be  expected  to  comprehend 
them,  and  are  not  competent  to  pro- 
nounce upon  them. 

13.  This  is  the  portion  of  a  wicked 
manwith  God.  There  has  been  much 
diversity  of  view  in  regard  to  the  re- 
mainder of  this  chapter.  The  difficul- 
ty is,  that  Job  seems  here  to  state  the 
same  things  which  had  been  maintain- 
ed by  his  friends,  and  against  which  he 
had  all  along  contended.  Thisdifficul- 
ty  has  been  felt  to  be  very  great,  and  is 
very  great  It  cannot  be  denied,  that 
there  is  a  great  resemblance  between 
the  sentiments  here  expressed  and 
those  which  had  been  maintained  by 
his  friends,  and  that  this  speech,  if 
otTered  by  them,  would  liave  accorded 
entirely  with  their  main  position. 
Job  seems  to  abandon  all  which  he 
had  defended,  and  to  concede  all 
which  he  had  so  warmly  condemned. 
One  mode  of  explaining  the  difficulty 
has  been  suggested  in  tiie  "  Analysis" 
of  the  chapter.  It  was  proposed  by 
Noyes,  and  is  plausible,  but,  perhaps, 
will  not  be  regarded  as  satisfactory 
to  all.  Dr.  Kennicott  supposes  that 
the  text  is  imperfect,  and  that  the.se 
verses  constituted  the  third  speech  of 
Zophar.  His  arguments  for  this 
opinion  are,  (1.)  That  Eliphaz  and 
Bildad  had  each  spoken  three  times, 
and  that  we  are  naturally  led  to  ex- 
pect a  third  speech  from  Zophar  ;  but, 
according  to  the  present  arrangement, 
there  is  none.  (2.)  That  the  senti- 
ments accord  exactly  with  what 
Zophar  might  be  expected  to  advance, 
and  are  exactly  in  his  style  ;  that  they 
are  expressed  in  "  his  fierce  manner 
of  accusation,"  and  arc  "in  the  very 
place  where  Zophar's  speech  is  nat- 
urally expected."  But  tlie  objec- 
tions to  tills  view  are  insuperable. 
Tlicy  are,  (1.)  Tiie  entire  want  of  any 
authority  in  the  manuscripts,  or  an- 
cient versions,  for  such  an  arrange- 
ment or  supposition.  All  the  ancient 
versions   and  manuscripts  make  this 


wicked  man  with  God,  and  the 

a  part  of  the  speech  of  Job.  (2  )  If 
this  had  been  a  speech  of  Zophar, 
we  should  have  expected  a  reply  to 
it,  or  an  allusion  to  it,  in  the  speech 
of  Job  which  follows.  But  no  such 
repl}' or  allusion  occurs.  (3)  If  the 
form  which  is  usual  on  the  opening 
of  a  speech,  "And  Zophar  answered 
and  said,"  had  ever  existed  here,  it  is 
incredible  that  it  should  have  been 
removed.  But  it  occurs  in  no  manu- 
script or  version  ;  and  it  is  not  al- 
lowable to  make  such  an  alteration  in 
the  Scripture  by  conjecture.  W'emyss, 
in  his  translation  of  Job,  accords 
with  the  view  of  Kennicott,  and 
makes  these  verses  (13-23)  to  be  the 
third  speech  of  Zophar.  For  this, 
however,  he  alleges  no  authority,and 
no  reasons  except  such  as  had  been 
suggested  by  Kennicott.  Coverdale, 
in  his  translation  of  the  Bible  (A.D. 
1553),  has  inserted  the  word  "  saying" 
at  the  close  of  ver.  12,  and  regards 
what  follows  to  the  end  of  the  chap- 
ter as  an  enumeration  or  recapitula- 
tion of  the  false  sentiments  which 
they  had  maintained,  and  which  Job 
regards  as  the  "vain"  things  (ver. 
12)  which  they  had  maintained.  In 
support  of  this  view  the  following 
reasons  may  be  alleged  :  (1.)  It 
avoids  all  the  difficulty  of  transposi- 
tion, and  the  necessity  of  inserting  an 
introduction,  as  we  must  do,  if  we 
suppose  it  to  be  a  speech  of  Zophar. 
(2.)  It  avoids  the  difficulty  of  suppos 
ing  that  Job  had  here  contradicted 
the  sentiments  which  he  had  before 
advanced,  or  of  conceding  all  that 
his  friends  had  maintained  (3.)  It 
is  in  accordance  with  tlie  practice  of 
the  speakers  in  this  book,  and  the 
usual  practice  of  debaters,  who  enu- 
merate at  considerable  length  the 
sentiments  which  tiiey  regard  as  er- 
roneous, and  which  they  design  to 
oppose.  (4.)  It  is  the  most  simple 
and  natural  supposition,  and,  there- 
fore, most  likely  to  be  the  true  one. 
Still,  it  must  be  admitted,  that  the 
passage  is  attended  with  difficulty  ; 
but  the  above  solution  is,  it  seems  lc> 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


61 


heritage  of  oppressors,  ichich 
they  sliall  receive  of  the  Al- 
mighty. 

14  If  "  his  children  be  multi- 
plied, it  is  for  the  sword  ;  and 
his  offspring  shall  not  be  satisfied 
with  bread. 

me,  the  most  plausible.  IT  This  is  the 
■portion.  Tiiis  is  what  he  receives; 
to  wit,  what  he  states  in  the  following 
verses,  that  his  children  would  be 
cut  off".  U  Jind  the  heritage  of  op- 
pressors. Wiiat  tyrants  and  cruel 
men  must  expect  to  receive  at  the 
iiand  of  God. 

14.  If  his  children  be  jmdtiplied,  it 
is  for  the  sword.  Tiiat  is,  they  shall 
be  slain  in  war.  The  first  calamities 
which  it  is  here  said  would  come 
upon  a  man,  relate  to  his  family  (vs. 
14-18);  the  next  are  those  that 
would  come  upon  himself,  vs.  19-23. 
All  the  sentiments  here  expressed  are 
found  in  the  various  speeches  of  the 
friends  of  Job,  and,  according  to 
the  interpretation  suggested  above, 
ihis  is  designed  to  represent  their 
sentiments.  They  maintained  that 
if  a  wicked  man  was  blessed  with 
a  numerous  family,  and  seemed  to  be 
prosperous,  it  was  only  that  the 
punishment  might  come  the  more 
heavily  upon  him,  fur  that  they 
certainly  would  be  cut  off.  See  ch. 
sviii.  19,  20,  xx.  10.  V  And  his  off- 
spring shall  not  be  satisfied  icith  bread. 
This  sentiment  was  advanced  by 
Zophar,  ch.  xx.  10.  See  Notes  on 
that  verse. 

15.  Those  that  remain  of  him. 
Tiiose  that  survive  him.  TI  Shall  be 
buried  in  death.  Heb.  '  shall  be  bu- 
ried by  death  '  (^!;^?),  that  is,  '  Death 
shall  be  the  grave-digger" — or,  they 
shall  have  no  friends  to  bury  them  ; 
they  shall  be  unburied.  The  idea  is 
highly  poetical,  aad  the  expression  is 
very  tender.  They  would  have  no 
one  to  weep  over  them,  and  no  one 
to  prepare  for  them  a  grave  ;  there 
would  be  no  procession,  no  funeral 
dirge,  no  train  of  weeping  attendants  ; 


15  Those  that  remain  of  him 
shall  be  buried  in  death  ;  and 
his  widows  shall  not  weep.  * 

16  Though  he  heap  up  silver 
as  the  dust,  and  prepare  raiment 
as  the  clay  ; 

a  De.  28.  41.  2  Ki.  9.  7,  8.  Hos.  9.  13. 
b  Ps.  78.  64. 


even  the  members  of  their  own  fami- 
ly would  not  weep  over  them.  To 
be  unburied  has  always  been  regard- 
ed as  a  dishonor  and  calamity  (comp. 
Notes  on  Isa.  xiv.  19),  and  is  often 
referred  to  as  such  in  the  Scriptures. 
See  Jer.  viii.  2,  xiv.  16,  xvi.  4,  6. 
The  passage  here  has  a  striking  re- 
semblance to  Jer.  x-\ii.  18,  19  : 

"  They  shall  not  lament  for  hirn,  saying. 
Ah  !  my  brother  !  or,  Ah  !  sister  I 
They  shall  not  lament  for  him,  saying. 
Ah  '  lord  !  or,  Ah  !  his  glory  1 
With  the  burial  of  an  ass  shall  he  be  buried, 
Drawn   out   and  cast   beyond   the  gates  of 
Jerusalem." 

If  And  his  widows  shall  not  weep.  The 
plural  here — '  widows  ' — is  a  proof 
that  polygamy  was  then  practised.  It 
is  probable  that  Job  here  alludes  to 
the  shrieks  of  domestic  grief  which 
in  the  East  are  heard  in  every  part  of 
tile  house  among  the  females  on  the 
death  of  the  master  of  the  family,  or 
to  the  train  of  women  that  usually 
followed  the  corpse  to  the  grave. 
Tlie  standing  of  a  man  in  society  was 
indicated  by  the  length  of  the  train  of 
mourners,  and  particularly  by  the 
number  of  wives  and  concubines  that 
followed  him  as  weepers.  Job  re- 
fers to  this  as  the  sentiment  of  his 
friends,  that  when  a  wicked  man 
died,  he  would  die  with  such  evident 
marks  of  the  divine  displeasure,  that 
even  his  own  family  would  not  mourn 
for  him,  or  that  they  would  be  cut  off 
before  bis  death,  and  none  would  be 
left  to  grieve. 

16.  Though  he  heap  up  silver  as 
the  dust.  'J  hat  is,  in  great  quantities 
— as  plenty  as  dust.  Con)p.  1  Kings 
X.  27,  "And  the  king  made  silver  to 
be  in  Jerusalem  as  stones."  TI  And 
prepare  raiment.  Oriental  wealth 
consisted    much    in   changes   of  rai 


62 


JOB. 


17  He  may  prepare  it,  but  " 
the  just  shall  put  it  on,  and  the 
innocent  shall  divide  the  silver. 

o  Ec.  2.  26. 

ment.  Sir  John  Chardin  says  that  in 
the  East  it  is  common  to  gather  to- 
gether immense  quantities  of  furniture 
and  ciotlies.  According  to  D'Herbe- 
lot,  Boktcri,  an  illustrious  poet  of 
Cufah  in  the  ninth  century,  had  so 
many  presents  made  him  in  the 
course  of  his  life,  that  when  he  died 
he  was  found  possessed  of  an  hundred 
complete  suits  of  clothes,  two  hun- 
dred shirts,  and  five  hundred  turbans. 
Comp.  Ezra  ii.  60,  and  Neh.  vii.  70. 
See  Bochart  Hieroz.  P.  II.  Lib,  iv.  c. 
XXV.  p.  617.  This  species  of  treasure 
is  mentioned  by  Virgil  ; 

Dives  equum,  dives  picta'i  vestis  et  auri. 

^n.  ix  26. 

The  reason  why  wealth  consisted  so 
much  in  changes  of  raiment,  is  to  be 
found  in  tlie  fondness  for  display  in 
Oriental  countries,  and  in  the  fact 
that  as  fashions  never  change  there, 
such  treasures  are  valuable  until  they 
are  worn  out.  In  the  ever-varying 
fashions  of  the  West  such  treasures 
are  comparatively  of  much  less  value. 
TI  Jjs  the  clay.  As  the  dust  of  the 
streets;  or  as  abundant  as  mire. 

17.  The  just  shall  put  it  ore.  The 
righteous  shall  wear  it.  It  shall  pass 
out  of  the  hands  of  him  who  prepared 
it,  into  tlie  hands  of  others.  The 
meaning  is,  that  the  wicked,  though 
ihey  become  rich,  would  not  live  to 
enjoy  their  ill-gotten  gains.  These 
two  verses  contain  a  beautiful  illus- 
tration of  what  Dr.  Jebb  calls  the 
introverted  parallciism — where  the 
fourth  member  answers  to  tlie  first, 
and  the  third  to  the  second  : 

Thougli  he  heap  up  silver  as  the  dust, 
And  prepare  raiment  as  the  clay, 
The  just  shall  put  it  [raiment]  on, 

And  the  innocent  shall  divide  the  silver. 

A  similar  instance  occurs  in  Matth. 
vii.  6  : 

Give  not  that  which  is  holy  unto  the  dogs, 
Neither  cast  ye  your  ])earls  hefore  swine. 
Lest  they  [the  swine]  trample  them  under 
their  feet, 

And  I  the  dogs]  turn  again  and  rend  you. 


18  He  buildeth  his  house  as  a 
moth,  and  as  a  booth  that  the 
keeper  maketh. 

For  a  full  illustration  of  the  nature  of 
Hebrew  poetry,  the  reader  may  con- 
sult De  Wette,  Einleitung  in  die 
Psalmen,  translated  in  the  Biblical 
Repository,  vol.  iii.  pp.  445,  seqq  and 
Nordheimer's  Hebrew  Grammar,  vol. 
ii.  pp.  319,  seqq.  See  also  the  Intro- 
duction to  Job,  §  V.  H  The  innocent 
shall  diride  the  silver.  That  is,  the 
righteous  shall  come  into  possession 
of  it,  and  divide  it  among  themselves. 
The  wicked  who  had  gained  it  shall 
not  be  permitted  to  enjoy  it. 

18.  He  buildeth  his  house  as  a  inoth. 
The  liouse  which  the  moth  builds  is 
the  slight  fabric  which  it  makes  for 
its  own  dwelling  in  the  garment 
which  it  consumes.  On  this  verse 
comp.  ch.  viii.  14.  The  dwelling  of 
the  moth  is  composed  of  the  materials 
of  the  garment  on  which  it  feeds,  and 
there  may  be  an  allusion  here  not 
only  to  the  fact  that  the  house  which 
the  wicked  reared  for  themselves 
would  be  temporary,  and  that  it 
would  soon  pass  away  like  the  dwell- 
ing of  the  moth,  but  that  it  was  ob- 
tained—  like  the  dwelling  of  the  moth 
— at  the  expense  of  others.  The  idea 
of  frailty,  however,  and  of  its  being 
only  a  very  temporary  habitation,  is 
probably  the  main  thought  in  the 
passage.  The  allusion  here  is  to  the 
moth-icorm  as  it  proceeds  from  the 
egg,  before  it  is  changed  into  the 
chrysalis,  aurelia,  or  nympli.  "  The 
young  moth,  upon  leaving  the  egg 
which  a  papilio  has  lodged  upon  », 
piece  of  stuff,  or  a  skin  well  dressed, 
and  commodious  for  her  purpose, 
immediately  finds  a  habitation  and 
food  in  the  nap  of  the  stuff,  or  hair  of 
the  skin.  It  gnaws  and  lives  upon 
the  nap,  and  likewise  builds  with  it 
its  apartment,  accommodated  both 
with  a  front  door  and  a  back  one  : 
the  whole  is  well  fastened  to  the 
ground  of  the  stuff',  with  several  cord* 
and  a  little  glue.  The  moth  some- 
times  thrusts   her   head   out  of  out 


C^  11  AFTER  XXVII. 


63 


19  Tlio  rich  "   man  shall   lie    ered  :   he  openeth  his  cya^,  and 
dmvii,  but  he  shall  not  be  gath-     he  is  not. 
aLii.  If!,  o-j,  a?.  j 


opening,  tuul  somelinies  out  of  the 
other,  and  perpetually  demoHshes  all 
about  her;  and  when  she  has  cleared 
the  place  about  her,  she  draws  out 
all  the  stakes  of  the  tent,  after  which 
the  carries  it  to  some  little  distance, 
find  then  fixes  it  with  her  slender 
cords  in  a  new  situation."  Burder. 
It  is  to  the  insect  in  its  larvae  or  cat- 
erpillar state  that  Job  refers  here,  and 
tlie  slightness  of  the  habitation  will 
be  easily  understood  by  anyone  who 
has  watched  the  operations  of  the 
silk  worm,  or  of  the  moths  that  Rpjjear 
in  this  country.  Tlie  idea  is,  that 
the  habitation  wiiich  the  wicked  con- 
structed was  temporary  and  frail,  and 
would  soon  be  left.  The  Chaldeo 
and  Striae  render  this  'the  spider  ;' 
and  so  does  Luther — Spi.nne.  The 
slight  gossamer  dwelling  of  the  spi- 
der would  well  correspond  with  the 
idea  here  expressed  by  Job.  TT  Jind 
as  a  booth.  A  tent,  or  cottage.  If 
That  the  keeper  maketh.  That  one 
who  watches  vineyards  or  gardens 
makes  as  a  temporary  shelter  from 
the  storm  or  the  cold  at  night.  Such 
edifices  were  very  frail  in  their 
structure,  and  were  designed  to  be 
only  temporary  habitations.  See  the 
subject  explained  in  JNotes  on  Isa. 
i.  8.  Niebuhr,  in  his  description  of 
Arabia,  p  1.58,  says,  "  In  the  moun- 
tains of  Yemen  they  have  a  sort  of' 
nest  on  the  trees,  where  the  Apabs  sit 
to  watch  the  fields  after  they  have 
been  planted.  But  in  the  Kehama,  | 
where  they  have  but  few  trees,  they  | 
build  a  light  kind  of  scaffolding  for 
this  purpose  "  Mr.  Southey  opens 
the  fifth  part  of  his  Curse  of  Keiiama 
with  a  similar  allusion  :  I 

! 

"  Evening  comes  on  : — artsing  from  the  stream,  j 
Homewanl  the  tall  flamingo  wings  his  flight;  I 
And  when  he  sails  athwart  the  setting  heam,  I 
His  scarlet  plumage  glows  with  deeper  light. 
The  WATCHM.tN,  at  the  wish'd  approach  of 
night,  j 

Gladly  forsakes  the  field,  where  he  all  day, 
To  scare  the  wirged  plunderers  from  their 
prey, 


With  shout  and  sling,  on  yonder  clay-buik 
height, 

Hath  borne  the  sultry  ray. 

19.  The  rich  man.  That  is,  the 
rich  man  who  is  wicked.  IT  Shall  lie 
down.  Shall  die — for  so  tlie  connec- 
tion demands.  IT  But  he  shall  not  he 
gathered.  In  an  honorable  burial. 
The  slain  in  battle  are  gathered 
together  for  burial  ;  but  he  shall  be 
unburied.  The  expressions  'to  be 
gathered,'  '  to  be  gathered  to  one's  fa- 
thers,' frequently  occur  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  seem  to  be  used  to  denote  a 
peaceful  and  happy  death  and  an 
honorable  burial.  There  was  the 
idea' of  a  happy  union  with  departed 
friends  ;  of  being  honorably  placed 
by  their  side  in  the  grave,  and  admit- 
ted to  companionsliip  with  them 
again  in  the  unseen  world.  Comp. 
Gen.  XXV.  8,  xxxv.  29,  xlix.  29,  33. 
Num.  xxvii.  13.  Deut.  xxxii.  50.  Jud. 
ii.  10.  2  Kings  xxii.  20.  Among  the 
ancients,  the  opinion  prevailed  that 
the  souls  of  those  who  were  not  bu- 
ried in  the  customary  manner,  were' 
not  permitted  to  enter  Hades,  or  the 
abodes  of  the  dead,  but  were  doomed 
to  wander  for  an  hundred  years  upon 
the  banks  of  the  river  Styx.  Thus 
Homer  (Iliad,  xxiii.  71,  seq.)  repre- 
sents the  spirit  of  Patroclus  as  appear- 
ing to  Achilles,  and  praying  him  that 
he  would  commit  his  body  with  pro- 
per honors  to  the  earth.  Sc)  Palinu- 
rus  is  represented  by  Virgil  (^^neid, 
vi.  36-5)  as  saying,  'Cast  earth  upon 
me,  that  I  may  have  a  calm  repose  in 
death.'  The  Hindoos,  says  Dr. 
Ward,  believe  that  the  souls  of  those 
who  are  unburied  wander  about  and 
find  no  rest.  It  is  possible  that  such 
views  may  have  prevailed  in  the  time 
of  Job.  The  sentiment  here  is,  that 
such  an  honored  death  would  be  de- 
nied the  rich  man  of  oppiession  and 
wickedness.  TI  He  openeth  his  eyes, 
and  he  is  7iot.  That  is,  in  the  twink- 
ling of  an  eye  he  is  no  more.  From 
the  midst  of  his  affluence  he  is  sud 


64 


JOB. 


20  Terrors  take  hold  on  him 
as  waters,  a  tempest  stealeth  him 
away  in  the  night. 

21  The  east  wind  carrieth 
him  away,  and  he  departeth  ; 
and,  as  a  "  storm,  hurleth  him 
out  of  his  place. 


deiily  cut  off,  and  hui-ried  away  in  a 
moment. 

20.  Terrors  take  hold  on  him  as 
waters.  That  is,  as  suddenly  and 
violently  as  angry  floods.  Comp. 
JVotes  on  ch.  xviii.  14.  11.4  tempest 
stealeth  hi  in  aicay.  He  is  suddenly 
cut  off  by  the  wrath  of  God.  A  tem- 
pest comes  upon  him  as  unexpectedly 
as  a  thief  or  robber  comes  at  niglit. 
Death  is  often  represented  as  coming 
upon  man  with  the  silence  of  a  thief, 
or  the  sudden  violence  of  a  robber  at 
midnight.  See  Note  ch.  xxi.  18, 
comp.  Matth.  xxiv.  42-44. 

21.  The  east  icind  carrieth  him 
aieay.  He  is  swept  off  as  by  the  vio- 
lence of  a  tempest.  Severe  storms 
arie  represented  in  this  book  as  com- 
ing from  the  East.  Comp.  Notes  on 
ch.  XV.  2.  The  ancients  believed 
that  men  might  be  carried  away  by  a 
tempest  or  whirlwind.  Comp.  Isa. 
xli.  16.  See  also  Homer,  Odys.  xx. 
63,  seq.  ■ 

"Snatch  rac,  yo  whirlwinds,  far  from  human 
race, 
Tost  through  ihe  void  illimitahle  space  : 
Or  if  dismounted  from  the  rapid  cloud, 
Jle   with    his   whelming    wave     et    Ocean 
shroud !"  Pope. 

Comp.  Notes  on  ch.  xxx.  22.  The 
parallc'.f.  .ii  here  would  seem  to  imply 
that  the  wind  referred  to  was  violent., 
hut  it  is  possible  that  the  allusion 
iiiav  be  to  the  burning  winds  of  the 
desert,  so  well  known  in  the  East, 
and  so  frequently  described  by  travel- 
lers. The  Vulgate  here  renders  the 
Hebrew  word  °"'1i^,  ventus  urcns, 
'burning  wind;'  the  I..XX  in  like 
manner,  zai'ffo;!'/  the  Syriac  simply 

-PS' 

|^07,  wind.  This  east  wind,  or 
burning  wind,  is   wliat  tlip  Arabians 


22  For  God  shall  cast  upon 
him,  and  not  spare  :  '  he  would 
fain  flee  out  of  his  hand. 

23  Mi-n  shall  clap  their  hands 
at  him,  and  shall  hiss  him  out  of 
his  place. 

a  Pa.  58.9.  1  in  fleeing  he  would  flee. 


which  passes  over  the  desert,  and 
which  was  formerly  supposed  to  be 
destructive  of  life.  JMore  recent  trav- 
ellers, however,  tell  us  that  it  is  not 
fatal  to  lite,  tiiough  exceedingly  op- 
pressive. IT  .4/if/  as  a  slonn.  See 
Ps.  Iviii.  9.  IT  Hurleth  him  out  of  his 
place.  Takes  him  entirely  away,  or 
removes  him  from  the  earth. 

22.  For  God  shall  cast  iiptm  him. 
That  is,  God  shall  bring  calamities 
upon  him,  or  cast  his  thunderbolts 
upon  him,  and  shall  not  pity  him. 
IT  He  icould  fain  flee.  He  would 
gladly  escape  from  the  wrath  of  God, 
but  he  is  unable  to  do  it. 

23.  3Ien  shall  clap  their  haiids  at 
him.  That  is,  they  shall  combine  to 
drive  him  out  of  the  world,  and  re- 
joice when  he  is  gone.  The  same 
sentiment  was  also  expressed  by  Bil- 
dad,  ch.  xviii.  18  : 

lie  shall  he  driven  from  light  into  darkness, 
And  cliased  out  of  the  world. 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  I  think,  that 
Job  alludes  to  that  sentiment,  and 
that  his  object  in  quoting  it  is  to  show 
its  incorrectness.  He  does  not  in- 
deed go  into  a  formal  reply  to  it  in 
the  following  chapters,  but  he  seems 
to  consider  that  he  had  already  re- 
plied to  it  by  the  statements  whicli 
he  had  made,  and  which  showed  the 
incorrectness  of  the  views  which  his 
fri«nds.had  taken.  He  had  demon- 
strated in  the  previous^chapteYs  that 
their  main  position  was  incorrect,  and 
he  asks  (in  ver.  12  of  this  chapter), 
Iiow  it  was  possible  that  they  could 
hold  such  sentiments  as  these,  in  the 
midst  of  all  xho,  facts  wliicli  surround- 
ed   tiicni  .-'       The    whole    current    of 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


65 


events  was  against  their  opinion,  and 
in  the  close  of  this  chapter  he  enu- 
merates the  sentiments  wiiich  they 
had,  advanced,  vvhicli  he  regarded  as 
so  strange,  and  vvhicii  he  felt  that  he 
had  now  shown  to  be  erroneous. 
Indeed,  theij  seem  to  have  regarded 
themselves  as  confuted,  for  they  were 
silent.  Job  had  attacked  and  over- 
thrown their  main  position,  that  men 
were  treated  according  to  their  char- 
acter  in    this    life,   and   that    conse- 


quently extraordinary  sufferings  were 
proof  of  extraordinary  guilt,  *ind,  that 
being  overthrown,  they  hari  nothing 
more  to  say.  Having  silenced  them, 
and  shown  the  error  of  the  opinions 
which  he  has  here  eiuunerated,  he 
proceeds  in  the  following  citapters  to 
state  his  own  views  on  important 
topics  connected  with  the  providence 
of  God,  mainly  dosignod  to  siiow  that 
we  are  not  to  expect  1  jlly  to  compre- 
hend the  reason  of  hi  ;  dispensations. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


.\NALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 


Various  opinions  liave  Ijcen  entertained  of  the  design  of  this  chapter,  !  id  of  the  eonnection 
which  it  has  with  the  preceding.  A  statement  and  examination  of  those  <  ^jinions  may  be  found 
in  Schultens  and  in  Rosenmiiller.  The  most  probable  opinion,  as  it  seen  b  to  me,  is,  tliat  the 
design  is  to  sliow  that  we  must  acquiesce  in  the  inscrutable  dispensations  of  divine  Providence, 
without  being  able  fully  to  comprehend  them.  The  ways  of  God  are  liigh  and  mysterious. 
Vast  wisdom  is  shown  in  liis  vvorlis,  and  there  is  much  which  man  cannot  comprehend.  All  his 
works  are  such  as  to  excite  tlic  admiration  of  man.  There  is  great  obscurity  in  his  dealings, 
and  every  wliere  God  had  shown  that  his  plans  are  far  above  those  of  man.  Tlie  friends 
of  Job  had  pretended  to  understand  tlie  reason  of  the  divine  dispensations.  They  had 
maintained  that  when  men  suffered  they  clearly  comprehended  the  cause  and  tliat  the  reason 
was  that  God  dealt  witli  them  strictly  according  to  their  character.  This  position  Job  had 
controverted.  Ho  had  showed  that  it  was  not  true  in  fact  The  wicked,  he  said,  often  lived 
long,  and  died  in  peace.  But  still,  he  admitted,  that  tliere  was  much  which  he  could  not  under- 
stand. He  did  not  know  why  they  were  thus  permitted. to  live,  and  he  did  not  know  wliy  the 
righteous  were  subjected  to  trials  so  severe.  All  this,  he  now  says,  is  to  be  resolved  into  the 
superior  and  infinite  wisdom  of  God ;  and  in  that  it  becomes  man  to  actiuiesce,  even  though  he 
cannot  now  explain  it.  In  illustration  of  this,  he  labors  to  show  that  man  had  made  surprising 
discoveries  in  the  works  of  nature  ;  that  he  had  penetrated  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  and  had 
overcome  the  greatest  obstacle  in  the  attainment  of  knowledge  and  in  the  investigation  of 
science,  but  still  all  that  he  had  done  or  could  do  did  not  disclose  to  him  the  plans  of  tho  divine 
administration,  or  tho  reason  of  the  divine  dealings,  and  tlierefore  true  wisdom  was  to  be  found 
in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  in  profound  veneration  for  the  Almighty.  In  sliowing  this.  Job 
adverts  to  the  following  topics. 

(1.)  He  refers  to  the  skill  which  man  had  shown  in  operations  of  mining,  and  to  the  discov- 
eries which  ho  had  made  of  the  places  of  silver  and  gold,  vs.  1,  2. 

(•2.)  In  these  operations,  man  liad  penetrated  to  the  greatest  depths,  so  as  to  carry  his  discov- 
eries far  into  tlie  regions  of  night,  vs.  3,4. 

(3.)  He  had  wiought  the  earth,  bringing  food  out  of  it ;  he  had  turned  it  up,  and  found  out  tho 
places  of  precious  stones,  vs.  5,  ti. 

(4.)  He  had  far  surpassed  the  wisdom  of  the  brute  creation  ;  he  had  gone  where  their  sagacity 
could  not  lead  them,  and  had  penetrated  into  dark  regions  which  the  keen  eye  of  the  vulture 
had  not  seen,  and  where  even  the  lion  had  not  adventured,  vs.  7,8. 

(5.)  He  had  put  forth  extraordinary  power.  He  had  removed  vast  stones  ;  had  overturned 
mountains  ;  liad  cut  canals  through  mighty  rocks,  and  had  confined  and  bound  the  angry  floods, 
vs.  9- 11. 

(6.)  Yet  still.  Job  says,  none  of  these  things  revealed  the  secret  plans  of  the  divine  adminis- 
tration. The  wisdom  which  man  sought  was  not  to  be  found  there.  It  was  far  above  all  the 
discoveries  of  science,  and  all  the  mere  investigations  of  nature.  It  had  not  been  found  in  the 
abyss  or  in  the  sea ;  it  could  not  be  bought  with  gold  or  silver,  with  the  sapphire,  with  coral  or 
pearls  ;  rubies  and  the  topaz  could  not  purchase  it.  Even  Destruction  and  Death  said  that  they 
had  only  heard  of  it  with  their  ears,  vs.  12-22. 


66 


JOB. 


(7  )  It  was  to  be  found,  therefore,  only  in  Ood.  He  only  understood  the  way  of  truo  wisdom, 
and  the  reason  of  his  own  plans  ;  and  it  became  man  to  acquiesce  in  his  inscrutable  dealings. 
True  wisdom  was  therefore  to  be  found  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  in  a  profound  veneration 
for  the  Almighty,  vs.  23-28. 


s 


URELY  there  is  a  '  vein  for    the  silver,  and  a  place  for  gold 
1  or,  mine.  wlicvc  they  fine  it. 

filtered,  or  gold  thnt  is  j)urificd. 
Mai.  iii.  3.  It  may  refer  here  to  an}' 
process  of  purifying  or  refining.  It 
is  commonly  done  by  the  application 
of  heat.  One  of  the  instructive  uses 
of  the  book  of  Job  is  the  light  which 
it  throws  incidentally  on  the  state  oi 
the  ancient  arts  and  sciences,  and  the 
condition  of  society  in  reference  to 
the  comforts  of  life  at  the  early  pe- 
riod of  the  world  when  the  author 
lived.  In  this  passage  it  is  clear  (1,) 
that  the  metals  were  then  in  general 
use,  and  (2,)  that  they  were  so 
wrought  as  to  furnish,  in  the  view 
of  Job,  a  striking  illustration  of  human 
wisdom  and  skill.  Society  was  so  far 
advanced  as  to  make  use  not  only  of 
gold  and  silver,  but  also  of  copper 
and  brass.  The  use  of  gold  and  silver 
commonly  precedes  the  discovery  of 
iron,  and  consequently  the  mention 
of  iron  in  any  ancient  book  indicates 
a  considerably  advanced  state  of  so- 
ciety. It  is,  of  course,  not  known  to 
what  extent  the  art  of  working  metals 
was  carried  in  the  time  of  Job,  as  all 
that  would  be  indicated  here  would 
be  that  the  method  of  obtaining  llic 
pure  metal  from  the  ore  was  under- 
stood. It  may  be  interesting,  how- 
ever, to  observe,  that  the  art  was 
early  known  to  the  Egyptians,  and 
was  carried  by  them  to  a  considerable 
degree  of  perfection.  Pharaoh  ar- 
rayed Joseph  in  vestures  of  fine  linen, 
and  put  a  chain  of  gold  about  his 
neck,  Gen.  xli.  42,  and  great  quanti- 
ties of  gold  and  silver  ornaments 
were  borrowed  by  the  Israelites  of 
the  Egyptians,  when  they  were  about 
to  go  to  the  promised  land.  Gold 
and  silver  are  mentioned  as  known 
in  the  earliest  ages.  Comp.  Gen.  ii. 
11,  12,  xli  42.  Ex.  XX.  23.  Gen.  xxiii. 
15,  16.  Iron  is  also  mentioned  as 
having  being  early  known.  Gen.  jv. 


1.  Surely  there  is  a  vein  for  silver. 
Marg.  mm<\  Coverdale  renders  this, 
"  There  are  places  where  silver  is 
molten."  Prof  Lee  renders  it,  "  There 
is  an  outlet  for  the  silver,"  and  sup- 
poses it  means  the  coming  out  or 
separation  of  the  silver  from  the 
earthy  particles  by  which  it  is  sur- 
rounded in  the  ore,  not  the  coming 
out  from  the  mine.  The  word  ren- 
dered vein  (NZJi'J)  means  properly  a 
going  forth,  as  the  rising  of  the  sun, 
Ps.  xix.  7  :  the  promulgation  of  an 
edict,  Dan.  ix.  25;  then  a  place  of 
going  forth — as  a  gate,  door,  Ezek. 
xlii.  11,  xliii.  11,  and  thence  a  mine, 
a  vein,  or  a  place  of  ibe  going  forth 
of  metals ;  that  is,  a  place  where 
they  arc  procured.  So  the  LXX 
here,  "Eoti  yao  doyixjCo)  to  no<; 
oO-cv  ylvfxat. — "there  is  a  place  for 
silver  whence  it  is  obtained."  The 
idea  luM-e  is,  that  man  had  evinced 
his  wisdom  in  finding  out  the  mines 
of  silver  and  working  them.  It  was 
one  of  the  instances  of  his  skill  that 
he  had  been  able  to  penetrate  into 
the  earth,  and  bring  out  the  ore  of 
the  precious  metals,  and  convert  it  to 
valuable  purposes.  IF  Jlnd  a  place 
for  gold.  A  workshop,  or  laboratory, 
for  working  the  precious  metals.  Job 
says,  that  even  in  his  time  such  a 
laboratory  was  a  proof  of  the  wisdom 
of  man.  So  now,  one  of  the  most 
striking  proofs  of  skill  is  to  be  found  ; 
in  the  places  where  the  precious  i 
metals  are  purified,  and  v,  rought  into 
the  various  forms  in  which  they  are 
adapted  to  ornament  and  use.  11 
Where  they  fine  it —  *1|?^^  .  The  word 
here  used  {PPJ])  means  properly  to 
bind  fast,  to  fetter  ;  and  then  to  com- 
press, to  squeeze  through  a  strainer  ; 
and  hence  to  strain,  filter;  and 
thence  to  purify — as  wine  that  is  thus 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


67 


2  Iron   is    taken   out    of  the 

1  or,  dust. 

22.  Tubal  Cain  was  instructor  in 
iron  and  brass.  Gold  and  silver  mines 
were  early  wrought  in  Egypt,  and  if 
Moses  was  the  compiler  of  the  book 
of  Job,  it  is  possible  that  some  of  the 
descriptions  liere  may  have  been  de- 
rived from  that  country,  and  at  all 
events  the  mode  of  working  these 
precious  metals  was  probably  the 
same  in  Arabia  and  Egypt.  From 
the  mention  of  ear-rings,  bracelets, 
and  jewels  of  silver  and  gold,  in 
the  days  of  .\braham,  it  is  evident 
that  the  art  of  metallurgy  was  known 
at  a  very  remote  period.  Workmen 
are  noticed  by  Homer  as  excelling  in 
t)ie  manufacture  of  arms,  rich  vases, 
and  other  objects  inlaid  or  ornament- 
ed with  vessels  : 

Apviocov  Kparflpa  T£ri)y/jri")i'. 

II.  xxiii.  741. 

His  account  of  the  shield  of  Achilles 
(Hi.  xviii.  474)  proves  that  the  art  of 
working  in  the  precious  metals  was 
well  known  in  his  time  ;  and  the  skill 
required  to  delineate  the  various  ob- 
jects which  he  describes  was  such  as 
no  ordinary  artisan,  even  at  this 
time,  could  be  supposed  to  possess. 
In  Egypt,  ornaments  of  gold  and 
silver,  consisting  of  rings,  bracelets, 
necklaces,  and  trinkets,  have  been 
found  in  considerable  abundance 
of  the  times  of  Osirtasen  I.,  and 
Thothmes  HI  ,  the  contemporaries 
of  Joseph  and  of  Moses.  Diodorus  (i. 
49)  mentions  silver  mines  of  Egypt 
which  produced  3,200  myriads  of 
min£E  The  gold  mines  of  Egypt  re- 
mained long  unknown,  and  their 
position  has  been  ascertained  only  a 
few  years  since  by  M.  Linant  and  M. 
Bonomi.  They  lie  in  the  Bishiree 
desert,  about  seventeen  days'  journey 
to  the  South-eastward  from  Derow. 
The  matrix  in  which  the  gold  in 
Egypt  was  found  is  quartz,  and  the 
excavations  to  procure  the  gold  are 
exceedingly  deep.  The  principal 
excavation   is    180  feet    deep.      The 


'  earth,  and  brass  is  molten  out 
of  the  stone. 

quartz  thus  obtained  was  broken  by 
the  workmen  into  small  fragments  of 
the  size  of  a  bean,  and  these  were 
passed  through  hand-mills  made  of 
granitic  stone,  and  when  reduced  to 
powder  the  quartz  was  washed  on 
inclined  tables,  and  the  gold  was 
thus  separated  from  the  stone.  Dio- 
dorus says,  that  the  principal  persons 
engaged  in  mining  operations  were 
captives,  taken  in  war,  and  persons 
who  were  compelled  to  labor  in  the 
mines,  for  offences  against  the  gov- 
ernment. They  were  bound  in  fet- 
ters, and  compelled  to  labor  night 
and  day.  "  No  attention,"  he  says, 
"  is  paid  to  these  persons  ;  they  have 
not  even  a  piece  of  rag  to  cover 
themselves  ;  and  so  wretched  is  their 
condition,  that  every  one  who  wit- 
nesses it,  deplores  the  excessive 
misery  which  they  endure.  No  rest, 
no  intermission  from  toil,  are  given 
either  to  the  sick  or  the  maimed; 
neither  the  weakness  of  age,  nor 
women's  infirmities,  are  regarded  ;  all 
are  driven  to  the  work  with  the  lash, 
till,  at  last,  overcome  with  the  in- 
tolerable weight  of  their  afflictions, 
they  die  in  the  midst  of  their  toil." 
Diodorus  adds,  "  Nature,  indeed,  I 
think,  teaches  that  as  gold  is  obtain- 
ed with  immense  labor,  so  it  is  kept 
with  difficulty,  creating  great  anxiety, 
and  attended  in  iis  use  both  with 
pleasure  and  with  grief."  It  was, 
perhaps,  in  view  of  such  laborious 
and  difficult  operations' in  obtaining 
tiie  precious  metals,  and  of  the  skill 
which  man  had  evinced  in  extracting 
them  from  the  earth,  that  Job  alluded 
here  to  the  process  as  a  striking  proof 
of  human  wisdom.  On  the  early 
use  of  the  metals  among  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  the  reader  maj^  consult 
with  advantage,  Wilkinson's  "Man- 
ners and  Customs  of  the  Ancient 
Egyptians,"  vol.  iii.  p.  215.  seq. 

2.  Iron.  As  has  been  remarked 
above,  iron  was  early  known,  yet 
probably  its  common  use  indicates  a 
more  advanced  state   of  civilization 


68 


JOB. 


than  tliat  of  gold  and  silver.  The 
Mexicans  were  ignorant  of  tlie  use  of 
iron,  though  ornaments  of  gold  and 
silver  elegantly  wrought  abounded 
among  them.  Iron  is  less  easily  dis- 
covered than  copper,  though  more 
abundant,  and  is  wrought  with  more 
difficulty.  Among  the  ancient  na- 
tions, copper  was  in  general  use  long 
before  iron  ;  and  arms,  vases,  statues, 
and  implements  of  every  kind  were 
made  of  tliis  metal  alloyed  and  har- 
dened with  tin,  before  iron  came  into 
general  use.  Tubal  Cain  is  indeed 
mentioned  (Gen.  iv.  22)  as  the  "  in- 
structor of  every  artificer  in  brass  and 
iron,''  but  no  direct  mention  is  made 
of  iron  arms  (Num.  xxxv.  16)  or  tools 
(Deut.  xxvii.  5),  until  after  the  depart- 
ure from  Egypt.  According  to  the 
Arundelian  Marbles,  iron  was  known 
one  hundred  and  eighty-eight  years 
before  the  Trojan  war,  about  1370 
years  B.  C.  ;  but  Hesiod,  Plutarch, 
and  others,  limit  its  discovery  to  a 
much  later  period.  Homer,  however, 
distinctly  mentions  its  use,  II.  xxiii. 
262: 

li  Se  ywixiKai  tii^Mvag,  TTo\tov  ts  aiiripov. 

That  by  the  sideros  of  the  poet  is 
meant  iron,  is  clear,  from  a  simile 
which  he  uses  in  the  Odyssey,  deriv- 
ed from  the  quenching  of  iron  in  wa- 
ter, by  whicli  he  illustrates  the  hiss- 
ing produced  in  the  eye  of  Polyphe- 
mus by  piercing  it  with  the  burning 
stake  : 

"  And  as  when  armorers  temper  in  the  ford 
The    keen-edged    pole-axe  or    the   shining 

sword, 
The  red-hot  metal  hisses  in  the  lake, 
Thus   in   the  eye-ball   hissed  the  plunging 
stake." 

OJysg.  ix.  391.     Pope. 

Iron  is  mentioned  in  tlie  time  of  Og 
king  of  Bashan,  1450  B.  C.  It  was 
at  first,  however,  regarded  as  of  great 
value,  and  its  use  was  very  limited. 
It  was  presented  in  tlie  temples  of 
Greece  as  among  the  most  valuable 
offerings,  and  rings  of  iron  have  been 
found  in  the  tombs  of  Egypt  that  had 
been  worn  as  ornaments,  showing  the 
value  of  the  metal.  One  of  the  rea- 
sons w'hy  this  metal  comes  so  slowly 


into  use,  and  why  it  was  so  rare  in 
early  times,  was  the  difficulty  of 
smelting  the  ore,  and  reducing  it  to  a 
malleable  state.  "  Its  gross  and  stub- 
born ore,"  says  Dr.  Robertson  (Ame- 
rica, B.  iv.),  "must  feel  twice  the 
force  of  fire,  and  go  through  two  labo- 
rious processes,  before  it  becomes  fit 
for  use."  It  was  this  fact  wlu7h 
made  it  to  Job  such  a  proof  of  the 
wisdom  of  man  that  he  had  invented 
the  process  of  making  iron,  or  of 
separating  it  from  the  earthy  portions 
in  which  it  is  found.  II  Is  taken  out 
of  the  earth.  Rlarg  dust.  The  form 
in  whicli  iron  is  found  is  too  well 
known  to  need  description.  It  is  sel 
dom,  if  ever,  found  in  its  purity,  and 
the  ore  generally  has  so  much  the 
appearance  of  mere  earth,  that  it  re- 
quires some  skill  to  distinguish  them. 
IT  j3nd  brass,  ilttj^ni.  Brass  is  early 
and  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Bible 
(Gen.  iv.  22.  Ex.  xxv.  3,  xxvi.  11,  et 
al),  but  there  is  little  doubt  that  cop- 
per is  meant  in  these  places.  Brass 
is  a  compound  metal,  made  of  copper 
and  zinc — containing  usually  about 
one  third  of  the  weight  in  zinc — and  . 
it  is  hardly  probable  that  the  art  of 
compounding  this  was  early  known. 
Comp.  Notes  on  ch.  xx,  24.  Dr. 
Good  renders  this,  "  And  the  rock, 
poureth  forth  copper."  Coverdale, 
"The  stones  resolved  to  metal." 
Noyes,  "  The  stone  is  melted  into 
copper."  Prof.  Lee,  "  Also  the  stone 
[is  taken  from  the  earth]  from  which 
one  fuseth  copper."  The  Hebrew 
is,  literally,  'And  stone  is  poured 
out  (p"^'^)  copper.'  The  LXX  ren- 
derit,  "  And  brass  is  cut  like  stones  ;" 
that  is,  is  cut  from  the  quarry.  The 
word  stone  here  in  the  Hebrew  (l^N) 
means,  doubtless,  ore  in  the  form  of 
stone  ;  and  the  fact  here  mentioned, 
that  such  ore  is  fused  into  the  '^'^^'^?, 
nchhiishd,  is  clear  proof  that  copper  is 
intended.  Brass  is  never  found  in 
ore,  and  is  never  compounded  in  the 
earth.  A  similar  idea  is  found  in 
Pliny,  who  probably  uses  the  word 
acs  to  denote  copper,  as  it  is  com 
nionly  employed  in  the  ancient  writ 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


69 


3  He  setteth  an  end  to  dark- 
ness, and  searcheth  out  all  per- 
fection :  the  stones  of  darkness, 
and  the  shadow  of  death. 


ingii  Aes  fit  ex  lapide  aeroso,  quein 
vocant  Cadmiam  ;  et  igne  lapides  in 
nes  solvaiiUir.  Nat.  Hist,  xxxiv.  i. 
Q2.  On  tlie  guiieral  subject  of'ancient 
metallurgy,  see  Wilkinson's  Manners 
and  Customs  of  the  Ancient  Egyp- 
tians, vol.  iii.  ch.  ix. 

'S.  He  setteth  an  end  to  dar/mcss. 
That  is,  man  does.  The  reference 
liere  is  undoubtedly  to  the  operations 
of  mining,  and  the  idea  is,  that  man 
delves  into  the  darkest  regions  ;  lie 
goes  even  to  the  outer  limits  of  dark- 
ness :  lie  penetrates  every  where. 
Probably  the  allusion  is  derived  from 
the  custom  of  carrying  torches  into 
mines.  II  And  searcheth  out  all  per- 
fection. Makes  a  complete  searcli  ; 
examines  every  thing  ;  carries  the 
matter  to  the  utmost.  The  idea  is 
not  that  he  searches  out  all  perfection 
— as  our  translation  would  seem  to 
convey  ;  but  that  he  makes  a  com- 
plete and  thorough  search — and  yet 
after  all  he  does  not  come  to  the  true 
and  liigliest  wisdom.  If  The  st07ies  of 
darkness.  The  last  stone,  says  Her- 
drsr,  in  the  mining  investigations  in 
the  time  of  Job  ;  the  corner  or  bound- 
ary stone,  as  it  were,  of  the  kingdom 
of  darkness  and  night.  Prof  Lee 
supposes  that  there  is  allusion  here 
to  the  fact  that  stones  were  used  as 
v.eights,  and  that  the  idea  is,  that 
man  had  ascertained  the  exact  iceight 
of  the  gross  darkness,  that  is,  had 
taken  an  accurate  admeasurement  of 
it,  or  had  wholly  investigated  it. 
But  this  solution  seems  far-fetched. 
Schultens  supposes  the  centre  of  the 
earth  to  be  denoted  by  this  expres- 
sion. But  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
words  'stone'  and  'darkness'  are  to 
be  separated,  and  that  tlie  one  is  not 
used  to  qualify  the  other.  The  sense 
is,  that  man  searches  out  every  thing  ; 
he  perfectly  and  accurately  penetrates 
every  where,  and   examines  all   ob- 


4  The  flood  breaketh  out  from 
the  inhabitant ;  evert  the  loaters 
forgotten  of  the  foot  :  they  are 
dried  up,  they  are  gone  away 
from  men. 

jects  ; — the  stone  (l?*?),  that  is,  the 
rocks,  the  mines  ;  the  darkness  (^SS<), 
that  is,  the  darkness  of  tlie  cavern, 
the  interior  of  the  earth  ;  and  the 
shadozo  of  death  (niTsbS),  that  is,  the 
most  dark  and  impenetrable  regions 
of  the  earth.  So  it  is  rendered  by 
Coverdale  :  "  The  stones,  the  dark, 
and  the  horrible  shadow." 

4.  The  flood  breaketh  out  from  the 
inhuhitant.  It  would  be  ditficult  to 
tell  what  idea  our  translators  affixed 
to  this  sentence,  though  it  seems  to 
be  a  literal  version  of  the  Hebrew. 
There  has  been  a  great  variety  of 
rendering  given  to  the  passage. 
Noyes  translates  it  : 

"From  the  place  where  they  dwell  they  open 

a  shaft, 
Unsupported  by  the  feet, 
They  are  suspended,  they  swing  awaj  from 

men." 

Herder  : 

"  A  flood  goeth  out  from  the  realm  of  oblivion, 
They  draw  it  up  from  the  foot  of  the  mountain, 
They  remove  it  away  from  men." 

According  to  this,  the  meaning.  Her- 
der says,  would  be,  that  "  the  dwell- 
ing of  the  forgotten  would  be  the 
kingdom  of  the  dead,  and  at  greater 
depth  than  the  deepest  mines  have 
readied.  Streams  break  forth  from 
the  river  of  eternal  oblivion  beneath, 
and  yet  are  overcome  by  the  miners, 
pumped  dry,  and  turned  out  of  the 
way.  Yet  I  confess,"  says  he,  "the 
passage  remains  obscure  to  my  mind." 
Coverdale  renders  it,  "  With  the  ri- 
ver of  water  parteth  he  asunder  the 
strange  people,  that  knowetli  no  good 
neighborhood  ;  sucli  as  are  rude,  un- 
mannerly, and  boisterous."  The 
LXX  render  it,  "The  channels  of 
brooks  are  choked  up  with  sand  ; 
when  to  such  as  know  not  tlie  right 
way  strength  is  unavailing,  and  they 
are  removed  from  among  men."    The 


70 


JOB. 


5  ^5  for  the  earth,  out  of  it    cometh  bread  ;  and  under  it  is 


difficulty  of  interpreting  the  passage 
has  been  felt  by  every  expositor  to 
be  great  ;  and  there  are  scarcely  two 
expositions  alike  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  Job  refers  to  mining  ope- 
rations, and  the  whole  passage  should 
be  explained  with  reference  to  such 
works.  But  the  obscurity  may  possi- 
bly arise  from  the  fact  that  mining 
operations  were  then  conducted  in  a 
manner  different  from  what  they  are 
now,  and  the  allusion  may  be  to  some 
custom  which  was  then  well  under- 
stood, but  of  which  we  now  know 
nothing.  A  plausible  interpretation, 
at  least,  has  been  furnished  by  Gese- 
nius,  and  one  which  seems  to  me  to 
be  more  satisfactory  than  any  other. 
An  explanation  of  the  words  in  the 
passage  will  bring  out  this  view. 
The  word  rendered  '  breaketh  out ' 
(yiS)  means  to  break,  rend,  tear 
through — and  here  refers  to  the  act 
of  breaking  through  the  earth  for  the 
purpose  of  sinking  a  shaft  or  pit  in 
a  mine.  The  word  rendered  '  flood  ' 
(Vn?)  means  properly  a  stream  or 
brook  ;  then  a  valley  in  which  a 
brook  runs  along  ;  and  here  Gesenius 
supposes  it  means  a  shaft  or  pit  of  a 
mine.  It  may  be  called  a  r-Hij  nd- 
hhdl,  or  valley,  from  the  resemblance 
to  a  gully  which  the  water  has  wash- 
ed away  by  a  mountain-torrent.  IT 
From  the  inhabitant.  This  conveys 
evidently  no  idea  as  it  now  stands. 
The  Hebrew  is  "iJ'DSJO.  The  word 
"lis,  from  which  "^S  is  derived,  means 
to  sojourn  for  a  time,  to  dwell,  as  a 
stranger  or  guest ;  and  the  phrase 
liere  means,  'away  from  any  dweller 
or  inliabitant  ;'  that  is,  from  where 
men  dwell,  or  from  the  surface  of  the 
ground  as  the  abode  of  men  ;  that  is, 
under  ground.  Or  the  idea  is,  that 
it  is  done  where  no  one  could  dwell; 
It  could  not  be  the  abode  of  man.  IT 
Even  the  waters  forgotten  of  the  foot. 
The  words  '  even  the  waters '  are 
supplied  by  the  translators.  The 
Hebrew   is   ^i^"''?^  Oin^'::??!,   and 


refers  to  being  iinsupported  by  the 
foot.  They  go  into  a  place  where 
the  foot  yields  no  support,  and  they 
are  obliged  to  suspend  themselves  in 
order  to  be  sustained.  H  They  are 
dried  up —  ^'^.  The  word  ^t"],  from 
which  this  is  derived,  means  to  hang 
down^  to  be  pendulous,  as  boughs  are 
on  a  tree,  or  as  a  bucket  is  in  a  well. 
According  to  this  interpretation,  the 
meaning  is,  that  they  hang  doicn  fur 
from  men  in  their  mines,  and  swing 
to  and  fro  like  the  branches  of  a  tree 
in  the  wind.  IT  They  are  gone  aicay 
from  men.  The  word  ''"J,  from  Siia^ 
means  to  move  to  and  fro,  to  waver, 
to  vacillate.  Gr.  and  Latin  rn'o), 
nuo,  Germ,  jiicken,  to  nod  backwards 
and  forwards.  The  sense  here  is, 
that,  far  from  the  dwellings  of  men, 
they  leave  to  and  fro  in  their  deep 
mines,  suspended  by  cords.  They 
descend  by  the  aid  of  cords,  and  not 
by  a  firm  foothold,  until  they  pene- 
trate the  deep  darkness  of  the  earth. 
Other  interpretations  may  be  seen, 
however,  defended  at  length  in  Schul- 
tens,  and  in  Rosenmiiller—  who  has 
adopted  substantially  that  of  Schul- 
tens — in  Dr.  Good,  and  in  other  com- 
mentaries. Few  passages  in  the  Bible 
are  more  obscure. 

5.  As  for  the  earth,  out  of  it  cometh 
bread.  That  is,  it  produces  food,  or 
the  materials  for  bread.  The  idea  of 
Job  seems  to  be,  that  it  was  proof  of 
great  wisdom  and  skill  on  the  part  of 
man  that  he  had  carried  the  arts  of 
agriculture  so  far.  The  eartli  in  pro- 
ducing grain,  and  the  arts  of  hus- 
bandry, were  illustrative  of  wisdom 
and  skill,  but  they  did  not  impart  the 
wisdom  about  the  government  of  God 
which  was  desired.  That  was  re- 
served to  be  imparted  more  directly 
by  God  himself,  vs.  23,  seq.  IT  Jlnd 
binder  it  is  turned  iip  as  it  were  fire. 
That  is,  on  beingturned  up  it  discloses 
precious  stones  that  seem  to  glow 
like  coals  of  fire.  This  is  the  obvious 
sense  of  this  passage,  though  a  differ- 
ent interpretation   has  been  given  by 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


71 


turned  up  as  it  were  fire. 

6  The  stones  of  it  are  the 
place  of  sapphires  ;  and  it  hath 
'dust  of  gold. 


most  exposilors.  Job  is  speaking  of 
mining.  He  describes  the  search  for 
gold,  and  silver,  and  precious  stones. 
He  says  that  one  of  the  wonders  of 
wisdom  in  the  earth  is,  that  it  pro- 
duces nutritious  grain  ;  another,  that 
when  the  same  earth  is  turned  up  it 
seems  to  rest  on  a  bed  of  fire.  The 
dark  ground  is  made  to  glow  by  the 
quantity  of  jewels  that  are  disclosed, 
and  its  deep  recesses  seem  to  be  on 
fire.  There  is  no  reference  here, 
tlierefore,  as  it  seems  to  me,  to  any 
volcanic  agency,  or  to  any  belief  that 
ihe  earth  rests  on  a  sea  of  fire.  The 
idea  has  been  expressed  in  Sergeant's 
"Mine  :" 

"  Wheresoe'er  our  footsteps  turn, 
Rubies  blush  and  diamonds  burn." 

Lutiier  has  given  to  the  passage  a 
different  sense.  Man  bringet  auch 
Feuer  unten  aus  der  Erde,  da  oben 
Speise  auf  wachst — "  They  bring  fire 
from  the  earth  beneath,  where  food 
grows  up  above."  Coverdale,  "•  He 
bringeth  food  out  of  the  earth  ;  that 
which  is  under  he  consumeth  with 
fire."  Herder,  "  And  underneath  it 
is  changed  as  by  fire."  Dr.  Good, 
"  Below  it  [the  earth]  windeth  a  fiery 
region." 

6.  The  stones  of  it  are  the  place. 
Among  the  stones  of  the  earth  sap- 
phires arc  found.  "The  situation  of 
the  sapphire  is  in  alluvial  soil,  ifi  tlie 
vicinity  of  rocks,  belonging  to  the 
secondary  floetz  trap  formation,  and 
imbedded  in  gr.e'iss."  Jamesoyi.  "The 
sapphire  occurs  in  considerable  abun- 
dance in  the  granitic  alluvion  of 
Matura  and  SafTragam,  in  Ceylon." 
Davij.  IT  Sapphires.  Comp.  Note 
Isa.  liv.  11.  The  sapphire  is  a  pre- 
cious stone,  usually  of  a  blue  color, 
though  it  is  sometimes  yellow,  red, 
violet,  green,  or  white.  In  hardness 
it  is  inferior  to  the  diamond  only  : 

"  In  unroll'd  tufts,  flowers  purpled,  bluo  and 
white. 


7  There  "  is  a  path  which  no 
fowl  knoweth,  and  wliich  the 
vulture's  eye  hath  not  seen  : 

1  or,  fi-old  ore.  n  c.  1 1.  T:. 

Like  sappliire,  pear],  in  rich  embroidery." 
Shaesfeare. 
"  He  tinctures  rubies  with  their  rosy  hue, 

And    on   the   sapphire   spreads    a    heavenly 
blue."  Blackmoke. 

The  mineral  is,  ne.xt  to  the  diamond, 
the  most  valuable  of  the  precious 
stones.  The  most  highly  prized 
varieties  are  the  crimson  and  carmine 
red  ;  these  are  the  Oriental  ruby  of 
the  traveller,  and  next  to  the  diamond 
are  the  most  valuable  jewels  hitherto 
discovered.  The  blue  varieties — the 
sapphire  of  the  jeweller — are  next  in 
value  to  the  red.  The  yellow  varie- 
ties— the  Oriental  To^;ar  of  the  jewel- 
ler— are  of  less  value  tlian  the  blue 
or  true  sapphire.  Edin.  Ency  Art. 
Mineralogy.  U  And  it  hath  dust  of 
gold.  Marg.  or,  gold  ore.  Literally, 
"  The  dusts  of  gold  are  in  it."  Gold 
is  often  found  in  the  form  of  dust.  It 
is  obtained  by  washing  it  from  the 
sand,  and  passing  it  over  a  fleece  of 
wool,  to  which  the  gold  adheres. 

7.  There  is  a  path  which  no  fotcl 
knoiceth.  That  is,  a  path  in  search- 
ing for  gold  and  precious  stones. 
The  miner  treads  a  way  which  is 
unseen  by  the  bird  of  keenest  vision. 
He  penetrates  into  the  deep  darkness 
of  the  earth.  The  object  &f  Job  is 
to  show  the  wisdom  and  tlie  intre- 
pidity of  man  in  penetrating  these 
dark  regions  in  searching  fur  sap- 
phires and  gold  Tlie'  most  far- 
sighted  birds  could  not  find  their  way 
to  them.  The  most  intrepid  and 
fearless  beasts  of  prey  dared  not  ad- 
venture to  those  dangerous  regions. 
The  word  rendered  foicl  (-■?") 
means  either  a  ravenous  beast,  Jer. 
xii.  9,  or  more  commonly  a  raven- 
ous bird.  See  Notes  on  Isa.  xlvi.  11. 
According  to  Bochart,  Ilieroz.  P.  11. 
L.  11.  c.  viii.  p  1!I5,  the  word  he/e 
denotes  a  rapacious  bird  of  any 
kind  ;  a  bird  which  has  a  koi-n 
vision.  IT  Which  the  vulture's  eye 
hath  not   seen.      The    vulture   is  di.-;- 


72 


JOB. 


8  The  lion's  whelps  have  not 
trodden  it,  nor  the  fierce  lion 
passed  by  it. 

9  He  putteth  forth  his  hand 
upon  the  rock  ;  '  he  overturneth 
the  mountains  by  the  roots. 

lor,  flint.  aHab.  3.  9.         J  c.  26.  8. 

2  icteping. 


linguislied  for  the  remarkable  keen- 
ness of  its  vision.  On  the  deserts  of 
Arabia,  it  is  .said,  when  a  camel  dies, 
there  is  ahnost  immediately  discerned 
far  in  the  distant  sky,  what  seems  at 
first  to  be  a  mere  speck.  As  it  draws 
nearer  it  is  perceived  to  be  a  vuUiire 
that  had  marked  the  camel  as  he  fell, 
and  that  comes  to  prey  upon  it.  This 
bird  is  proverbial  for  the  keenness  of 
Its  sight. 

8.  The  lion's  whelps.  The  lion 
that  ventures  into  the  most  danger- 
ous places  in  pursuit  of  prey,  has  not 
dared  to  go  where  man  has  gone  in 
pursuit  of  precious  stones  and  gold. 
On  the  words  here  used  to  designate 
the  lion,  see  Bochart  Hieroz.  P.  1. 
Lib.  iii.  c.  1. 

9.  He  pufteth forth  his  hand.  That 
is,  the  miner  in  securing  the  precious 
metals  and  gems.  IT  Upo?i  the  rock. 
Marg.  Jlint.  The  word  here  used 
(tti'^'Osn)  occurs  also  in  Ps.  civ.  8. 
Deut.  viii.  15,  xx.xii.  13,  It  means 
Aint,  silcx ;  and  the  idea  is,  that  the 
miner  approaclios  the  hardest  sub- 
stances He  penetrates  even  the  flint 
in  searching  for  precious  stones.  Dr. 
Good  renders  it,  "  Sparry  ore." 
Michaelis  rend«;rs  the  same  word  in 
Deut.  vii.  15,  porphyry,  or  red  granite. 
The  idea  is  that  notliing,  however 
difhcult,  not  even  cutting  down  the 
hardest  rocks,  deters  the  miner  from 
pursuing  his  work.  IT  He  overturn- 
eth the  mountains  hy  the  roots.  That 
is,  he  digs  under  them,  and  they  fall. 
The  root  of  a  mountain  means  its 
base  or  foundation.  The  following 
passage  from  Pliny  (Hist,  Nat.xxxiii. 
c.  iv.  §  2\)  furnishes  an  admirable 
illustration  of  this  passage  :  Tamen 
in  silice  facilior  existimatur  labor 
Est  nanique  terra  ex  (juodam  argilla 


10  He  °  cutteth  out  rivers 
among  the  rocks ;  and  his  eye 
seeth  every  precious  thing. 

11  He  bindeth  '  the  floods 
from  '^  overflowing  ;  and  the  thing 
that  is  hid  bringeth  he  forth  to 
light. 

genere  glaraj  mixta,  Candidam  vo- 
cant,  prope  inexpugnabilis.  Cuneis 
eam  ferreis  aggrediuntur,  et  iisdem 
malleis  ;  nihilque  durius  putant,  nisi 
quod  inter  omnia  auri  fama  durissima 
est.  Peracto  opere  cervices  fornicuni 
ab  ultimo  caedunt,  dantque  signum 
ruinae,  eamque  solus  intelligit  in  cacu- 
mine  montis  pervigil.  Hie  voce, 
ictuque,  repente  operarios  revocari 
jubet,  pariterque  ipse  devolat.  Mons 
fractus  caditin  sese  longo  fragore,  qui 
concipi  humana  mente  non  possit, 
et  flatu  incredibili.  Spectant  victores 
ruinam  naturas. 

10.  He  cutteth  out  rivers  among 
the  rocks.  That  is,  in  his  operations 
of  mining,  he  cuts  channels  for  the 
water  to  flow  ofl"  through  the  rocks. 
This  was  done,  as  it  is  now,  for  the 
purpose  of  drawing  off"  the  water 
that  accumulates  in  mines.  U  His 
eije  seeth  every  precious  thing.  Every 
valuable  mineral  or  precious  stone 
that  lies  imbedded  in  the  rocks.  It  is 
evident  from  this,  that  mining  opera- 
tions were  carried  to  a  considerable 
extent  in  the  time  of  Job.  The  ar. 
of  thus  penetrating  the  eartii,  and 
laying  open  its  secret  treasures,  indi- 
cate an  advanced  stage  of  society — a 
stage  much  removed  from  barbarism. 

11.  He  bindeth  the  floods  from  over- 
floioing.  Marg.  loeeping.  The  He- 
brew also  is  '  from  weeping  '  "^2313  ; 
referring  to  the  water  which  trickles 
down  the  shaft  of  the  mine.  The 
idea  is,  tliat  even  the  large  strea.ns 
which  break  out  in  such  mines,  the 
fountains  and  springs  which  the 
miner  encounters  in  his  operations, 
he  so  efl'ectually  restrains  that  they 
do  not  even  trickle  down  or  tceep  on 
the  sides  of  the  shaft,  but  it  is  lefk 
perfectly  dry.     This  is   necessarv  in 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


73 


opening  mines  of  coa\  or  minerals, 
and  in  making  tunnels  or  otlier  exca- 
vations. Yet  any  one  wlio  has  passed 
into  a  coal  mine,  tlirougli  a  tunnel, 
or  into  any  one  of  the  deep  natural 
caves  of  tlie  earth,  will  sec  liow  diffi- 
cult it  is  to  close  all  tiie  places  where 
water  would  trickle  down.  It  is  in 
fact  seldom  done  ;  and  if  done  liter- 
ally in  the  time  of  Job,  it  indicates  a 
very  advanced  state  of  the  art  of 
mining.  In  sinking  a  shaft,  it  is  often 
necessary  to  pass  at  different  depths 
through  strata  of  earth  where  the 
water  oozes  out  in  abundance,  and 
where  the  operations  would  be  neces- 
sarily suspended  if  it  could  not  be 
stopped  or  drawn  off.  The  machinery 
necessary  for  this  constitutes  a  con- 
siderable part  of  the  expense  of  min- 
ing operations.  II  ./Ind  the  thing  that 
is  hid  he  bringeth  forth  to  light.  The 
concealed  treasures ;  the  gold  and 
gems  that  are  buried  deep  in  the 
earth.  He  brings  them  out  of  their 
darkness,  and  converts  them  to  orna- 
ment and  to  use.  This  ends  the  de- 
scription which  Job  gives  of  the  ope- 
rations of  mining  in  his  time.  We 
may  remark  in  regard  to  this  descrip- 
tion (1)  that  the  illustration  was  ad- 
mirably chosen.  His  object  was  to 
ihow  that  true  wisdom  was  not  to  be 
found  by  human  science,  or  by  mere 
investigation.  He  selects  a  case, 
therefore,  where  man  had  shown  the 
most  skill  and  wisdom,  and  where  he 
had  penetrated  farthest  into  dark- 
ness. He  penetrated  the  earth  ;  drove 
his  shaft  through  rocks;  closed  up 
gushing  fountains,  and  laid  bare  the 
treasures  that  had  been  buried  for 
generations  in  the  regions  of  night. 
Yet  all  tiiis  did  not  enable  him  fully 
to  explain  the  operations  of  the  divine 
government.  (2.)  The  art  of  mining 
was  carried  to  a  considerable  degree 
of  perfection  in  the  time  of  Job. 
This  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  his 
description  would  apply  very  well  to 
that  art  even  as  it  is  practised  now. 
Substantially  the  same  things  were 
done  then  which  are  done  now, 
though  we  cannot  suppose  with  the 
«aiiic  sidll,  or  to  the  same  extent,  or 
VOL.    II.  5 


with  the  same  perfection  of  machine- 
ry. (3.)  The  time  when  Job  lived 
was  in  a  somewhat  advanced  period 
of  society.  The  art  of  working  metals 
to  any  considerable  extent  indicates 
such  an  advance.  It  is  not  found 
among  barbarous  tribes,  and  even 
where  the  art  is  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent known,  it  is  long  before  men 
learn  to  sink  shafts  in  the  earth,  or  to 
penetrate  rocks,  or  to  draw  off  water 
from  mines.  (4.)  We  see  the  wisdom 
and  goodness  which  God  has  shown 
in  regard  to  the  things  that  are  most 
useful  to  man.  Those  things  which 
are  necessary  to  his  being,  or  which 
are  very  desirable  for  his  comfort,  are 
easily  accessible  ;  those  which  are 
less  necessary,  or  whose  use  is  dan- 
gerous, are  placed  in  deep,  dark, and 
almost  inaccessible  places.  The  fruits 
of  tlie  earth  are  near  to  man  ;  water 
flows  every  where,  and  it  is  rare  that 
he  has  to  dig  deep  for  it;  and  when 
found  by  digging,  it  is  a  running 
fountain,  not  soon  exhausted  like  a 
mine  of  gold  ;  and  iron,  also,  the  most 
valuable  of  the  metals,  is  usually 
placed  near  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
But  the  pearl  is  at  the  bottom  of  the 
ocean  ;  diamonds  and  other  precious 
stones  are  in  remote  regions  or  im- 
bedded in  rocks  ;  silver  runs  along 
in  small  veins,  often  in  the  fissures 
of  rocks,  and  extending  far  into  the 
bowels  of  the  earth.  The  design  of 
placing  the  precious  metals  in  these 
almost  inaccessible  fissures  of  the 
rocks,  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand. 
Had  Ihey  been  easily  accessible,  and 
limited  in  their  quantity,' they  would 
long  since  have  been  exhausted — 
causing  at  one  time  a  glut  in  the 
market,  and  at  others  absolute  want. 
As  they  are  now,  they  exercise  the 
utmost  ingenuity  of  man,  first  to  find 
them,  and  then  to  procure  them  ; 
they  are  distributed  in  small  quanti- 
ties, so  that  their  value  is  always 
great;  they  furnish  a  convenient  cir- 
culating medium  in  all  countries; 
they  afford  all  that  is  needful  for  or- 
nament. (5.)  There  is  another  proof 
of  wisdom  in  regard  to  their  ar- 
rangement in  the  earth,  which  was 


74 


JOB. 


12  But  where  "  shall  wisdom 
be  found  ?  and  where  is  the  place 
of  understanding  1 

13  Man  knoweth  not  the  price 
b  thereof;  neithci  is  it  found  in 
the  land  of  the  liiing. 

aEc.7.24.  6  Pr.  3.  lS-15. 

probably  unknown  in  the  time  of  Job. 
It  is  tlie  fact  that  the  most  useful  of 
the  metals  are  found  in  immediate 
connection  with  the  fuel  required  for 
their  reduction,  and  the  limestone 
which  facilitates  that  reduction.  This 
is  now  perfectly  understood  by  min- 
eralogists, and  it  is  an  instance  of 
the  goodness  of  God,  and  of  the  wis- 
dom of  his  arrangements,  which 
ought  not  to  be  disregarded  or  over- 
looked. They  who  wish  to  examine 
this  subject  more  at  length,  may  find 
some  admirable  views  in  BucUland's 
Geology  and  Mineralogy  (Bridge- 
water  Treatises),  vol.  i.  pp.  392-415. 
12.  But  ichere,  shall  tcisdovi  he 
found?  That  is,  the  full  understand- 
ing of  the  plans  of  God — for  this  is 
the  point  of  incjuiry.  The  object  of 
Job  is  to  show  that  it  is  not  to  be 
found  in  the  most  profound  science; 
by  penetrating  to  the  farthest  extent 
of  which  man  was  capable  in  the 
earth,  nor  by  any  human  investiga- 
tions whatever.  None  of  these  things 
revealed  the  great  plans  of  the  Al- 
mighty in  reference  to  his  moral 
government,  and  particularly  to  the 
points  which  engrossed  the  attention 
of  Job  and  his  friends.  Where  true 
wisdom  is  to  be  found  he  proceeds  to 
state  in  the  subsequent  verses. 

13.  Man  knoireth  not  the  price 
thereof.  The  word  rendered  price 
en"!?)  means  properly  that  which  is 
set  in  a  pile  or  row,  or  which  is  ar- 
ranged in  order.  Here  it  means 
preparation,  equipment — that  is, 
any  thing  put  in  order,  or  ready. 
Judges  xvii.  10.  It  ia  also  used  in 
the  sense  of  estimation  or  valuation. 
Lev.  V.  15,  18,  25.  The  word  price 
here,  however,  seems  to  form  no 
proper  answer  to  the  question  in  the 


14  The  depth  saith,  It  is  not 
in  me  :  and  the  sea  saith.  If  is 
not  with  me. 

15  It  '  cannot  be  gotten  for 
gold,  "  neither  shall  silver  be 
weighed  for  the  price  thereof. 

Ifine  cold  shall  not  be  ^vcn  fur  it.        e  Pr  8. 
11,  19.  IG.  16. 

previous  verse,  as  the  question  is, 
where  wisdom  is  to  be  found,  not 
what  is  its  value.  Many  expositors 
have,  therefore,  introduced  a  differ- 
ent idea  in  their  interpretation.  Dr. 
Good  renders  it,  "  Man  knoweth  not 
its  source."  Prof  Lee,  "  Man  know- 
eth not  its  equal."  Herder,  "  Man  j| 
knoweth  not  the  seat  thereof"  Cover-  | 
dale,  "  No  man  can  tell  how  worthy 
a  thing  she  is."  The  LXX  render 
it,  "  Man  knoweth  not —  nd'ov  civrfjc; 
— her  way."  But  the  word  here  used 
is  not  employed  to  denote  a  place  or 
way,  and  the  true  interpretation 
doubtless  is,  that  Job  does  not  con- 
fine himself  to  a  strict  answer  of 
the  question  proposed  in  ver.  12,  but 
goes  on  to  say  that  man  could  not  buy 
it;  he  could  neither  find  it,  nor  had 
he  the  means  of  purchasing  it  with 
all  the  wealth  of  which  he  was  the 
owner.  H  J\'eithcr  is  it  found  in  the 
land  of  the  living.  That  is,  it  is  not 
found  among  men.  We  must  look 
to  a  higher  source  than  man  for  true 
vvisdom.  Comp.  Isa.xxxviii  ll,liii.8. 
14.  The  depth  saith.  This  is  a 
beautiful  personification.  The  object 
of  this  verse  and  the  following  is,  to 
show  that  wisdom  cannot  be  found 
in  tiie  deepest  recesses  to  which  man 
can  penetrate,  nor  purciiased  by  any 
thing  which  rnan  possesses.  It  must 
come  from  God  only.  The  word 
depth  here  (DinPi)  means  properly  a 
wave,  billow,  surge  ;  then  a  ma.*;s  of 
waters,  a  flood,  or  the  deep  ocean, 
Deut.  viii.  7.  Gen.  vii.  11.  Ps.  xxxvi. 
7  ;  and  then  a  gulf,  or  abyss.  It  ro 
fers  here  to  the  sea,  or  ocean  ;  and 
the  idea  is,  that  its  vast  depths  migiit 
be  sounded,  and  true  wisdom  would 
not  be  found  there. 

)5.   It    cannot    be  gotten  for  gold 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


75 


16  It  cannot  be  valued  with 
the  gold  of  Ophir,  with  the  pre- 
cious onyx,  or  the  sapphire. 

1  or,  V'ssds. 


Marg.Jinc  trold  shall  not  be  given  for 
it.  Tlie  word  which  is  here  render- 
ed gold,  and  in  tlic  margin  ._/iree  gold 
("li^),  is  not  the  common  word  used 
to  denote  tliis  metal.  It  is  derived 
from  "150,  to  shut,  to  close,  and  means 
properh'  that  wliitli  is  shut  up  or  en- 
closed ;  and  hence  Gesenius  supposes 
it  means  pure  gold,  or  the  most  pre- 
cious gold,  as  that  which  is  shut  up 
or  enclosed  with  care.  Dr.  Good 
renders  it  'solid  gold,'  supposing  it 
means  that  which  is  condensed,  or 
beaten.  The  phrase  occurs  in  nearly 
the  same  form  (""^^^  -^Ii  ^ gold  shut 
up,'  Marg.)  in  1  Kings  vi.  2U,  21,  vii. 
49,  oU,  X.  21.  2  Chron.  iv.  21,  22,  ix. 
20,  and  undouhtedl}'  denotes  there 
the  most  precious  kind  of  gold.  Its 
relation  to  the  sense  of  the  verb  to 
shut  up  is  not  certain.  Prof.  Lee 
supposes  that  the  idea  is  derived  from 
the  use  of  the  word,  and  of  similar 
words  in  Arabic,  where  the  idea  of 
heating,  fusing,  giving  another  color, 
changing  the  shape,  and  thence  of 
fixing,  retaining,  &c.,  is  found  ;  and 
that  the  idea  here  is  that  of  fused  or 
purified  gold.  Michaelis  supposes 
that  it  refers  to  native  gold  that  is 
pure  and  unadulterated,  or  the  form  of 
gold  called  dcndroidcs,  from  its  shoot- 
ing out  in  liie  form  of  a  tree — haumar- 
tig  gcioachsenes  Gold  (from  the  Arab- 

if^  vJ*Vi^^  a  tree).     It  is  not  known, 

however,  that  the  Hebrew  word  "i5D 
wtis  ever  used  to  denote  a  tree. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  tiie  word 
denotes  gold  of  a  pure  kind,  and  it 
maij  have  been  given  to  it  because 
gold  of  that  kind  was  carefully  shut 
up  in  places  of  safe  keeping  ;  but  it 
would  seem  more  probable  to  me  that 
it  was  given  to  it  for  some  reason 
now  unknown.  Of  many  of  the 
names  now  given  by  us  to  objects 
which  are  significant,  and  which  are 


17  The  gold  and  the  crystal 
cannot  equal  it  ;  and  the  ex- 
change of  it  shall  not  be  for  jew- 
els '  of  fine  gold, 

easily  understood  by  us,  it  would  be 
impossible  to  trace  the  reason  or  pro- 
priety, after  the  lapse  of  four  thou- 
sand years.  IT  JVeither  shall  silver  he 
loeighed.  That  is,  it  would  be  impos 
sible  to  weigh  out  so  much  silver  as 
to  equal  its  value.  Before  the  art  of 
coining  was  known,  it  was  common 
to  weigh  the  precious  metals  that 
were  used  as  a  medium  of  trade. 
Comp.  Gen.  xxiii.  16. 

16.  The  gold  of  Ophir.  Uniformly 
spoken  of  as  the  most  precious  gold 
See  Notes  on  ch.  xxii.  24.  II  With,  the 
precious  onyx.  The  onyx  is  a  semi- 
pellucid  gem,  with  variously  colored 
veins  or  zones.  It  is  a  variety  of  the 
chalcedony.  The  Arabic  word  de- 
notes that  which  was  of  two  colors, 
where  the  white  predominated.  The 
Greeks  gave  the  name  onrjx  (ovvS)  to 
the  gem  from  its  resemblance  to  the 
color  of  the  thumb-nail.  See  Pas- 
sow,  y,  Or  the  sapphire.  Notes  on 
ver.  6. 

17.  The  gold  and  the  crijstal.  A 
crystal,  in  chemistry,  is  an  inorganic 
body  which,  by  the  operation  of  affin- 
ity, has  assumed  tlie  form  of  a  regu- 
lar solid,  terminated  by  a  number  of 
plane  and  smooth  surfaces.  It  is 
found  in  various  forms  and  sizes,  and 
is  composed  of  a  great  variety  of  sub- 
stances. The  common  rock  crystal 
is  a  general  name  for  all  the  transpar- 
ent crystals  of  quartz,  particularly  Oi 
limpid  or  colorless  quartz.  Webster. 
The  word  here  used  (HiD^rT^)  occurs 
nowhere  else  in  the  Bible.  It  is  from 
Ti?J,  to  be  clean,  pure  ;  and  is  given 
to  the  crystal  on  account  of  its  trans- 
parency. In  Arabic  the  word  means 
either  glass  or  crystal.  Jerome  trans- 
lates it,  vitrum — glass  ;  the  LXX, 
I'aAo? — crystal,  or  the  lapis  crystalli- 
nus.  Hesychius  says  that  the  crystal 
denotes  Xa^ngov  xoi'ioi; — clear  ice,  or 
US-ov  tI/uov — aprecious stone.  Ther* 


76 


JOB. 


18  No  mention  shall  be  made 

1  or,  Ram,ith. 

is  no  reason  to  supi)osc  iha.t  ({lags  \v;is 
known  so  early  as  tliis,  anJ  tlie  prob- 
ability is  that  tlie  word  here  denotes 
something  like  tlie  rock  crystal,  hav- 
ing a  slrong  resemblance  to  tlio  dia- 
mond, and  perhaps  then  regarded  as 
nearly  of  equal  value.  It  cannot  be 
supposed  that  the  relative  value  of 
gems  was  then  Tinderstood  as  it  is 
now.     ^  Jewels  of  fine  gold.     Marg. 

vessf.ls.  Vhe  Hebrew  word  "^^3  pro- 
perly means  vessels,  or  instruments. 
It  may  refer  here,  however,  to  orna- 
ments for  the  person,  as  it  was  in  that 
way  chiefly  that  gold  was  employed. 
18.  JVo  mention  shall  he  mudc  of  co- 
ral. That  is,  as  a  price  by  wiiich  to 
purchase  wisdom,  or  in  comparison 
with  wisdom.  The  margin  here  is, 
Ramotli — retaining  the  Hebrew  word 
J^TQS'H.  Jerome  renders  it,  excelsa — 
exalted  or  valuable  things.  So  the 
LXX,  MfTiwna — exalted  or  sublime 
things  ;  as  if  the  word  were  from 
t^"!,  to  be  exalted.  According  to  the 
Rabbins,  the  word  here  means  red 
coral.  It  occurs  also  in  Ezck.  xxvii. 
16,  where  it  is  mentioned  as  a  valua- 
ble commodity  in  merchandise  in 
which  Syria  traded  with  Tyre,  and 
occurs  in  connection  with  emeralds, 
purple,  broidered  work,  fine  linen, 
and  agate.  The  coral  is  a  well  known 
marine  substance,  not  valued  now  as 
if  it  were  a  precious  stone,  but  j)roba- 
bly  in  tlve  time  of  Job  regarded  as  of 
value  sufficient  to  be  reckoned  with 
gems.  It  was  not  rare,  though  iis 
uses  were  not  known.  As  a  beautiful 
object,  it  might  at  that  time  deserve 
to  be  mentioned  in  connection  with 
pearls.  It  is  now  found  in  al)und- 
ance  in  tiie  Red  Sea,  and  jirobably 
that  which  was  known  to  Job  was 
obtained  there.  Shaw  says,  "In 
rowing  gently  over  it  [the  port  Tor], 
while  the  surface  of  the  sea  was 
calm,  such  a  diversity  or  Madrepores, 
Fucn.<es,  [uid  otlier  marine  vegetables, 
presented  themselves  to  the  eve,  that 
woc>uld  not  forbear  taking  them,  as 


of  'coral,  or  of  pearls;  for  the 
price  of  wisdom  is  above  rubies. 

Pliny  [L.  xiii.  cap.  25]  had  done  be- 
fore us,  for  a  forest  under  water. 
The  branched  Madrepores  particu- 
larly contributed  very  much  to  autho- 
rize the  comparison  ;  for  we  passed 
over  several  that  were  eight  or  ten 
feet  high,  growing  sometimes  pyra- 
midical,  like  the  cypress,  and  at  other 
times  had  their  branches  more  open 
and  diff'used,  like  the  oak  ;  not  to 
speak  of  others  which,  like  the  creep- 
ing plants,  spread  themselves  over 
the  bottom  of  the  sea."  Travels,  p. 
384,  Ed.  Oxford,  1738.  It  should  be 
added,  however,  that  there  is  no  abso- 
lute certainty  that  Job  referred  here 
to  coral.  The  Hebrew  word  would 
suggest  simply  that  which  was  ezalt- 
ed  in  value,  or  of  great  price  ;  and  it 
is  not  easy  to  determine  to  what  par- 
ticular substance  Job  meant  to  apply 
it.  IT  Or  of  pearls.  tt5"iaa— Gai/s/t 
This  word  occin-s  nowhere  else, 
though  '.:i3"3j3K — Elcrahish,  is  found 
in  Ezek.  xiU.  11,  13,  xxxviii.  22, 
where  it  means  hail-stones,  or  pieces 
of  ice.  Perhaps  the  word  here  means 
merely  crifstal — resembling  ice.  So 
Umbreit,(jesenius,  and  others, under- 
stand it  Prof.  Lee  supposes  that  the 
word  liere  used  denotes  that  which  is 
asrsrregated,  and  then  what  hmassire, 
or  i-ast  See  his  Note  on  this  jilace. 
Jerome  renders  it,  emlnentla — exalt- 
ed, lofty  things  ;  the  EXX  retain  the 
word  without  attempting  to  translate 
it — ;'a,'7f; — and  the  fact  that  they  have 
not  endeavored  to  render  it,  is  a 
strong  circumstance  to  show  that  it  is 
now  liopeless  to  attempt  to  determine 
its  meaning  IT  ./Ihovc  rallies.  The 
ruby  is  a  precious  stone  of  a  carmine 
red  color,  sometimes  verging  to  violet 
There  are  two  kinds  of  rubies,  the 
oriental  or  corundum,  and  the  spi- 
nelle.  The  ruby  is  next  in  hardness 
to  the  diamond,  and  approaches  it  in 
value.  The  oriental  ruby  is  the 
same  as  the  sapphire.  The  ruby  is 
found  in  the  kingdom  of  Pegu,  in  the 
Mysore  country,  in    Ceylon,  and  in 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


77 


19  The  topaz  of  Ethiopia  shall 
not  equal  it,  neitlier  shall  it  be 
valued  with  pure  gold. 

20  Whence   "    then    cometh 


a  ver.  12.  Ja.  1.  5,  17. 


1  or,  heaven. 


some  Other  places,  and  is  usually  im- 
bedded in  gneiss.  It  is  by  no  means 
certain,  however,  that  the  word  here 
used  (S'^D'^DG)  means  rubies.  Many 
of  the  Rabbins  suppose  that  pearls 
are  meant  by  it  ;  and  so  Bocliart,  Hi- 
eroz.  ii.  Lib.  v.  c.  C,  7,  understands 
it.  J.  D.  Michaelis  understands  it  to 
mean  red  corals,  and  Gesenius  con- 
curs with  this  opinion.  Umbreit 
renders  it,  Perlen — pearls.  The  word 
occurs  in  Prov.  iii.  15,  viii.  11,  ,\x.  15, 
xxxi.  10.  Lam.  iv.  7.  In  the  Prov- 
erbs, as  here,  it  is  used  in  compari- 
son witli  2cisdo7n,  and  undoubtedly 
denotes  one  of  the  precious  gems. 

19.  The  topaz.  The  topaz  is  a 
precious  stone,  whose  colors  are 
yellow,  green,  blue,  and  red.  Its 
natural  place  is  in  various  primitive 
rocks, such  as  the  topaz-rock,  gneiss, 
and  clay-slate.  It  is  found  in  the 
granite  and  gneiss  districts  of  Mar 
and  Cairnsrrom,  in  Cornwall,  in 
Brazil,  and  in  various  other  places. 
The  most  valuable  stones  of  this  kind 
now  known  are  those  which  are 
found  in  Brazil.  This  gem  is  much 
prized  by  jewellers,  and  is  considered 
as  one  of  the  more  beautiful  orna- 
mental stones.  Tiie  Hebrew  word 
'^^■?'?  pitdd  occurs  in  Ex.  xxviii. 
17,  xxxix.  10.  Ezek.  xxviii.  13, 
and  in  this  place  only.  It  is  uni- 
formly rendered  topaz.  It  is  not 
improbable  that  the  English  word 
topaz,  and  the  Greek  roTidttor,  are 
derived  fiom  this,  by  a  slight  trans- 
position of  the  letters— "T^ElJ  .  The 
Vulgate  and  the  LXX  render  this 
topaz.  IT  Of  Ethiopia.  Heb.  (li'2 
—  Cvsh.  Coverdale  here  readers  it, 
India.  On  the  meaning  of  this  word, 
and  the  region  denoted  by  it,  see 
Notes  on  Isa.  xi.  11.  It  may  mean 
either  the  j)art  of  Africa  now  known 
"IS  Ethiopia,  or  Abyssinia  and  Nubia  ; 


wisdom  ?  and  where  is  tlie  place 
of  understanding  1 

21  Seeing  it  is  hid  from  the 
eyes  of  all  living,  and  kept  close 
from  the  fowls  of  the  '  air. 

the  southern  part  of  Arabia,  or  the 
Oriental  Cush  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Tigris.  It  is  better,  since  the  word 
has  such  ambiguity,  to  retain  the  ori- 
ginal, and  to  translate  it  Cush.  For 
any  thing  that  appears,  this  may  have 
denoted,  in  the  time  of  Job,  the 
southern  part  of  Arabia.  It  is  known 
that  the  topaz  was  found  there.  Thus 
Pliny  says,  Lib.  xxxvii.  32,  Reperta 
est — in  Arabim  insula, qua3  Citis  voca- 
tur;  in  qua  Troglodytaj  pracdones, 
diutius  fame — prossi  cum  herbas  radi- 
cesque  effoderant,  eruerunt  topazion. 

20.  Whence  then  cometh  wisdom? 
This  question  is  now  repeated  from 
ver.  12,  in  order  to  give  it  greater 
emphasis.  It  is  designed  to  fix  the 
attention  on  the  inquiry  as  one  which 
found  no  solution  in  the  discoveries 
of  science,  and  whose  solution  was 
hidden  from  the  most  penetrating 
human  intellect. 

21.  It  is  hid  froin  the  eyes  of  all 
living.  That  is,  of  all  men,  and  of 
all  animals.  Man  has  not  found  it 
by  the  most  sagacious  of  all  his  dis- 
coveries, and  the  keenest  vision  of 
boasts  and  fowls  has  not  traced  it 
out.  IT  .^nd  kept  close.  Heb.  con, 
cealed.  H  From  the  fowls  of  the  air. 
Comp.  Notes  on  ver.  7.  Umbreit  re- 
marks, on  this  passage,  that  there  is 
attributed  to  the  fowls  in  Oriental 
countries  a  deep  knowledge,  and  an 
extraordinary  gift  of  divination,  and 
that  they  appear  as  the  interpreters 
and  confidants  of  the  gods.  One  can- 
not but  reflect,  says  he,  on  the  per- 
sonification of  the  good  spirit  of  Or- 
muzd  through  the  fowls,  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  Persians  (Comp. 
Creutzer's  Symbolik  Th.  1.  s.  723); 
upon  the  ancient  fowl-king  (Vogel- 
konig)  Simurg  upon  the  mountain 
Kap,  representing  the  highest  wisdom  " 
of  life  ;  upon  the  discourses  of  the 
fowls  of  the    great    mystic    poet    ol 


78 


JOB. 


22  Destruction  and  death  say,  |  23  God  "  understaiidelh  the 
We  have  heard  the  fame  thereof  j  way  thereof,  and  he  knoweth  the 
with  our  ears.  place  thereof. 

a  Pr.  2.  6. 


the  Persians,  Feridcddin  Attar,  &c. 
Among  the  ancient  Greeks  and 
Romans,  also,  a  considerahle  part  of 
tlieir  divinations  consisted  in  ob- 
serving the  fligiit  of  birds,  as  if  they 
were  endowed  with  intelligence,  and 
indicated  coming  events  by  the  course 
which  they  took.  Comp.  also,  Ec- 
cles.  X.  20,  where  wisdom  or  intelli- 
gence is  ascribed  to  the  birds  of  the 
air.  "  Curse  not  the  king,  no,  not  in 
thy  thought  ;  and  curse  not  tlic  rich 
in  thy  bed-chamber  :  for  a  bird  of  the 
air  shall  curry  the  voice,  and  that 
which  hath  wings  shall  tell  tlie 
matter." 

22.  Destruction.  This  is  a  personi- 
fication which  is  exceedingly  sublime. 
Job  had  spoken  of  the  wonderful  dis- 
coveries made  by  science,  but  none 
of  them  had  disclosed  true  wisdom. 
It  hod  not  been  discovered  in  the 
shaft  which  the  miner  sank  deep  in 
the  earth  ;.  in  the  hidden  regions 
which  he  laid  open  to-day,  nor  by 
the  birds  that  saw  to  the  farthest  dis- 
tance, or  that  were  regarded  as  the 
interpreters  of  the  will  of  the  gods. 
It  was  natural  to  ask  whether  it 
might  not  have  been  discovered  in 
the  vast  profound  of  the  nether 
world — the  regions  of  death  and  of 
night  ;  and  whether  by  making  a  bold 
appeal  to  the  king  that  reigned  there, 
a  response  migiit  not  be  heard  that 
would  be  more  sati.sfactory.  In  ver. 
14,  tlie  appeal  had  been  made  to  the 
sea — with  all  its  vast  stores;  here 
the  appeal  is  to  far  deeper  regions — 
to  tlie  nether  world  of  darkness  and 
of  death.  On  the  word  used  here 
("0^?^*), '^e«'''Mcfiore,  see  Notes  oncli. 
xxvi.  6.  It  is  employed  here,  as  in 
that  place,  to  denote  the  nether  world 
— the  abode  of  departed  spirits — the 
world  where  those  are  who  have 
been  destroijed  by  death,  and  to  which 
the  destruction  of  the  grave  is  the 
entrance.      H  ^nd  death.     Death    is 


used  here  to  denote  S/nwl,  or  the 
abode  of  the  spirits  of  the  dead.  The 
sense  is,  that  those  deep  and  dark 
regions  had  simply  heard  the  distant 
report  of  wisdom  but  they  did  not 
understand  it,  and  that  if  one  wont 
down  there  it  would  not  be  fully  re- 
vealed to  him.  Perhaps  there  is  an 
allusion  to  the  natural  expectation 
that,  if  one  could  go  down  and  con- 
verse with  the  dead,  he  could  fintl  out 
much  more  than  can  be  known  on 
earth.  It  was  to  be  presumed  that 
they  would  understand  much  more 
about  the  unseen  and  future  world, 
and  about  the  plans  and  government 
of  God,  than  man  can  know  here. 
It  was  on  this  belief,  and  on  the  hope 
that  some  league  or  alliance  could  be 
made  with  the  dead,  inducing  them 
to  communicate  what  they  knew, 
that  the  science  of  necromancy  was 
founded.  See  Notes  on  Isa.  viii.  19. 
IT  Jfc  have  heard  the  fame  thereof. 
Wc  have  heard  the  report  of  it,  or  a 
rumor  of  it.  The  meaning  is,  that 
they  did  not  understand  it  fully,  and 
that  if  man  could  penetrate  to  those 
dark  regions,  he  could  not  get  the  in- 
formation which  he  desired.  Wis- 
dom is  still  at  such  an  immense  dis- 
tance that  it  is  only  a  report,  or  rumor 
of  it,  which  has  reached  us. 

23.  God  undcrstandeth  the  icay 
thereof.  These  are  doubtless  the 
words  of  Job.  The  meaning  is,  that 
the  reason  of  the  divine  dispensations 
could  be  known  only  to  God  himself. 
He  had  given  no  cleio  by  which  man 
could  discover  this.  He  might  carry 
his  investigations  far  into  the  regions 
of  science  ;  he  could  penetrate!  the 
earth,  and  look  on  the  stars,  but  still 
all  his  investigations  fell  short  of  dis- 
closing the  reasons  of  the  divine  dis- 
pensations. The  secret  was  lodged 
in  his  bosom,  and  he  only  could  com- 
municate it  where  and  when  ho 
pleased.     It  may  be  added  here,  that 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


79 


24  For  he  "  looketh  to  the 
ends  of  the  eartli,  and  seetli  un- 
der the  whole  heaven  ; 

25  To  make  *"  the  weight  for 


b  Ps.  135.  7. 


this  is  as  true  now  as  it  was  in  the 
time  of  Job.  Man  lias  carried  the 
investigations  of  science  almost  infi- 
nitely farther  than  he  had  then,  but 
stiH  by  the  investigations  of  science 
he  has  by  no  means  superseded  the 
necessity  of  revelation,  o-r  shed  light 
on  the  great  questions  that  have,  in 
all  ages,  so  much  perplexed  the  race. 
It  is  only  by  direct  communication, 
by  his  word  and  by  his  Spirit,  that 
man  can  be  made  to  understand  the 
reason  of  the  divine  doings,  and 
nothing  is  better  established  by  the 
course  of  events  than  the  truth  on 
which  Job  here  so  much  insists,  that 
scif.ncc  cannot  answer  the  questions 
of  £0  much  interest  to  man  about  the 
divine  government. 

24.  For  he  looketh  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth.  That  is,  God  sees  and  knows 
every  thing.  He  looks  upon  the 
whole  universe.  Man  sees  objects 
dimly  ;  he  sees  but  a  few,  and  he  lit- 
tle, understands  the  bearing  of  one 
thing  or  another. 

25.  To  make  the  weight  for  the 
winds.  That  is,  to  weigh  the  winds, 
and  to  measure  the  waters — things 
that  it  would  seem  most  difficult  to 
do.  The  idea  here  seems  to  be,  that 
God  had  made  all  things  by  measure 
and  by  rule.  Even  the  winds — so 
fleetingand  imponderable — he  hadad- 
justed  and  balanced  in  the  most  exact 
manner,  as  if  he  had  weighed  them 
when  he  made  ihem.  The  air  has 
weight,  but  it  is  not  probable  that  this 
fact  was  known  in  the  time  of  Job, 
or  that  lie  adverted  to  it  here.  It  is 
rather  the  idea  suggested  above,  that 
the  God  who  had  formed  every  thing 
by  exact  rule,  and  who  had  power  to 
govern  the  winds  in  the  most  exact 
manner,  must  be  qualified  to  impart 
wisdom  IT  jl7id  he  weighclh  the 
waters.  Comp.  Notes  on  Jsa.  \\.  12. 
seq.       The   word  rendered   weigheth 


the  winds  ;  and  he  weigheth  the 
waters  by  measure. 

26  When  he  made  a  decree 
for  the  rain,  and  a  way  for  the 
lightning  of  the  thunder  ; 

in  this  place  (I??})  means  either  to 
weigh,  or  to  measure,  Isa.  xl.  12.  As 
the  '  measure  '  here  is  mentioned,  it 
rather  means  probably  to  adjust,  to 
apportion,  than  to  weigh.  The  waters 
are  dealt  out  by  measure  ;  the  winds 
are  weighed.  The  sense'  is,  that 
though  the  waters  of  the  ocean  are 
so  vast,  yet  God  has  adjusted  them 
all  with  infinite  skill,  as  if  he  had 
dealt  them  out  by  measure  ;  and  hav- 
ing done  this,  he  is  qualified  to  ex- 
plain to  man  the  reason  of  his  doings. 
26.  When  he  made  a  decree  for  the 
rain.  A  statute  or  law  (P^^)  by 
which  the  rain  is  regulated.  It  is  not 
sent  by  chance  or  hap-hazard.  It  is 
under  the  operation  of  regular  and 
settled  laws.  We  cannot  suppose 
that  those  laws  were  understood  in 
the  time  of  Job,  but  the  fact  might 
be  understood  that  the  rain  was  regu- 
lated by  laws,  and  that  fact  would 
show  that  God  was  qualified  to  im- 
part wisdom.  His  kingdom  was  a 
kingdom  of  settled  law  and  not  of 
chance  or  caprice,  and  if  the  rain 
was  regulated  by  statute,  it  was  fair 
to  presume  that  he  did  not  deal 
with  his  people  by  chance,  and  that 
afflictions  were  not  sent  without  rule. 
Comp.  Notes  on  ch.  v.  6.  TI  Aid  a 
way.  A  path  through  which  the 
rapid  lightning  should,  pass — refer- 
ring, perhaps,  to  the  apparent  opening 
in  the  clouds  in  which  the  lightning 
seems  to  move  along.  M  The  lightning 
of  the  thunder.  T&e  word  lightning 
here  C'^l'^ — hhaziz)  properly  means 
an  arrow,  from  tTH  ,  obsol.,  to  pierce 
through,  to  transfix,  to  perforate  ;  and 
hence  the  lightning — from  the  rapid- 
ity   with    which    it    passes — like    an 

arrow.  Tlie  word  '  thunder  '  (f^^'lp) 
means  voices,  and  hence  thunder,  as 
being  by  way  of  eminence  the  voice 
of  God.     Comp.  Pe.  xxix.  3-5,    The 


80 


JOB. 


27  Then  did  he  see  it,  and 
^  declare  it ;  he  prepared  it,  yea, 
and  searched  it  out. 

2S  And    unto    man    he   said, 

1  or,  number. 

wliole  expression  licrc  means  '  the 
thunder-flash.'  Coverdale  renders 
this, '  when  he  gave  the  mighty  floods 
a  law  ;"  but  it  undoubtedly  refers  to 
the  thunder-storm,  and  the  idea  is, 
that  he  who  controls  the  rapid  light- 
ning, regulating  its  laws  and  directing 
its  path  through  the  heavens,  is  quali- 
fied to  communicate  truth  to  men, 
and  can  explain  the  great  principles 
on  which  his  government  is  adminis- 
tered. 

27.  Then  did  he  see  it.  That  is, 
then  did  lie  see  wisdom.  When  in 
the  work  of  creation  he  gave  laws  to 
the  rain  and  the  thunder-storm  ; 
when  he  weighed  out  the  winds  and 
measured  out  the  waters,  then  he  saw 
and  understood  the  principles  of  true 
wisdom.  There  is  a  remarkable  sim- 
ilarity between  the  expression  here 
and  Prov.  viii.  27-30,  "When  he 
prepared  the  heavens,  I  [wisdom] 
^as  there  ;  when  he  set  a  compass 
upon  the  face  of  the  depth  ;  when  he 
established  the  clouds  above  ;  when 
he  strengthened  the  foundations 
of  the  deep  ;  when  he  gave  to  the 
sea  his  decree,  that  the  waters  should 
not  pass  his  commandment  ;  when 
lie  appointed  the  foundations  of  the 
earth  ;  then  I  was  by  him  as  one 
brought  up  with  him  ;  I  was  daily 
his  delight,  rejoicing  always  before 
him."  IT  jind  declare  it.  Marg. 
number.  The  word  ("iSO)  means, 
however,  rather  to  declare,  or  to  nar- 
rate ;  and  the  idea  is,  that  even  then 
he  made  known  to  intelligent  beings 
the  true  principles  of  wisdom,  as  con- 
sisting in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  in 
suitable  veneration  for  the  Most  High. 
In  what  way  thi.t  was  made  known. 
Job  does  not  say  ;  but  there  can  be 
no  doubt  of  the  fact  to  wliicli  he  ad- 
verts, that  even  in  his  time  the  great 
principles  of  all  real  wisdom  were 
made  known  to  created  intelligences, 


Behold,  the  fear  "  of  the  Lord 
that  is  wisdom  ;  '  and  to  depart 
from  evil  is  understanding. 

a  De.  4.  6.    Pa.  111.  10.    Pr.  1.  7.  9.  10.    Eo 
12.  13.  b  Ja.  3.  17. 


as  consisting  in  profound  veneration 
of  God,  in  a  willingness  to  bow  under 
his  dispensations,  and  to  confide  in 
him.  11  He  prepared  it.  Made  it  a 
matter  of  thought  and  inquiry  to  find 
out  what  was  real  wisdom,  and  com- 
municated it  in  a  proper  way  to  his 
creatures.  The  idea  is,  that  it  was 
not  the  result  of  chance,  nor  did  it 
spring  up  of  its  own  accord,  but  it 
was  a  matter  of  intelligent  investiga- 
tion on  the  part  of  God  to  know 
what  constituted  true  wisdom.  Pro- 
bably, also.  Job  here  means  to  refer 
to  the  attempts  of  man  to  investigate 
it,  and  to  say  that  its  value  was  en- 
hanced from  the  fact  that  it  had  even 
required  the  search  of  God  to  find  it 
out.  Beautiful  eulogiums  of  Wisdom 
may  be  seen  in  the  Apocryphal  book 
Ecclesiasticus,  of  which  the  following 
is  a  specimen  : 
Wisdom  shall  praise  herself. 
And  shall  glory  in  the  midst  of  her  people. 
In  the  congregation  of  the  Most  High  shall 

she  open  her  mouth, 
And  triumph  before  his  power. 
I  came  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Most  High, 
And  covered  the  earth  as  a  cloud. 
1  dwell  in  high  places, 
And  my  throne  is  in  a  cloudy  pillar. 
I  alone  compassed  the  circuit  of  heaven, 
And  walked  in  the  bottom  of  the  deep. 
In  the  waves  of  the  sea,  and  in  all  the  earth, 
And  in  every  people  and  nation,  I  got  a  po3 

session. 
He  created  me  from  the  beginning,  before  the 

world, 
And  I  shall  never  fail.     eh.  xxiv. 

28.  .^nd.  unto  man  he  said.  At 
what  time,  or  how.  Job  does  not  say. 
Prof.  Lee  supposes  that  this  refers  to 
the  instruction  which  God  gave  in 
Paradise  to  our  first  parents  ;  hut  it 
may  rather  be  supposed  to  refer  to 
the  universal  tenor  of  the  divine  com- 
munications to  man,  and  to  all  tliat 
God  had  said  about  the  way  of  true 
wisdom.  The  meaning  is,  tliat  the 
substance  of  all  that  God  had  .said  to 
man  was,  that  true  wisdom  was  to  be 
found  in  profound  veneration  of  him. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


81 


H  The  fear  of  the  LoKD,that  is  wisdom. 
Tlie  vvurd  'Lord'  here  is  improperly 
printed  in  small  capitals,  as  if  the 
word  were  i^J^^ — Jehovah.  The 
original  word  is,  however,  "^STyt — 
Jldonai ;  and  the  fact  is  worthy  of 
notice,  because  one  point  of  the  argu- 
ment respecting  the  date  of  the  book 
turns  on  the  question  whetlier  the 
word  Jehovah  occurs  in  it.  8ce 
Notes  on  ch.  xii.  9.  The  fear  of  the 
Lord  is  often  represented  as  true  wis- 
dom. Prov.  i.  7,  xiv.  27,  xv.  33,  xix. 
23.  Ps.  cxi.  10,  et  al.  The  meaning 
here  is,  that  real  wisdom  is  connected 
with  a  proper  veneration  for  God, 
and  with  submission  to  him.  We 
cannot  understand  his  ways.  Sci- 
ence cannot  conduct  us  up  to  a  full 
explanation  of  his  government,  nor 
can  the  most  profound  investigations 
disclose  all  that  we  would  wish  to 
know  about  God.  In  these  circum- 
stances, true  wisdom  is  found  in  hum- 
ble piety  ;  in  reverence  for  the  name 
and  perfections  of  God  ;  in  that  vene- 
ration which  leads  us  to  adore  him, 
and  to  believe  that  he  is  right,  though 
clouds  and  darkness  are  round  about 
him.     To  this  conclusion  Job,  in  all 


his  perplexities,  comes,  and  here  his 
mind  finds  rest.  H  Jlnd  to  depart 
from  evil  is  tinderstanding.  To  for- 
sake every  evil  way  inust  be  wise. 
In  doing  that,  man  knows  that  he 
cannot  err.  He  walks  safely  who 
abandons  sin,  and  in  forsaking  every 
evil  way  he  knows  that  he  cannot 
but  be  right.  He  may  be  in  error 
when  speculating  about  God,  and  the 
reasons  of  his  government  ;  he  may 
be  led  astray  when  endeavoring  to 
comprehend  his  dealings ;  but  there 
can  be  no  such  perplexity  in  depart- 
ing from  evil.  There  he  knoicshe  is 
right.  There  his  feet  are  on  a  rock. 
It  is  better  to  walk  surely  there  than 
to  involve  ourselves  in  perplexity 
about  profound  and  inscrutable  ope- 
rations of  the  divine  character  and 
government.  It  may  be  added  here, 
also,  that  he  who  aims  to  lead  a  holy 
life,  who  has  a  virtuous  heart,  and 
who  seeks  to  do  always  what  is  right, 
will  have  a  clearer  view  of  the  gov- 
ernment and  truth  of  God,  than  the 
most  profound  intellect  can  obtain 
without  a  heart  of  piety  ;  and  that 
without  that,  all  the  investigations  of 
the  most  splendid  talents  will  be 
practically  in  vain. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


ANALYSIS    OF    THE    CHAPTER. 


Thi3  chapter  is  closely  connected  with  the  two  following,  and  they  together  con.stitute  a  con- 
tinuous ari^ument.  Job  returns  to  his  own  case,  and  probably  designs  to  show  that  this  is  a 
striking  illustration  of  the  mysterionsnessof  the  divine  dealings  to  which  he  had  adverted  in  the 
last  chapter.  His  general  aim  is  to  vindicate  his  own  integrity  against  the  charges  of  his  friends, 
and  to  show  that  all  that  he  had  said  about  the  unprecedented  nature  of  his  afflictions  v.as  well 
fcrinded.  In  ch.  xxix.  he  beautifully  descants  on  his  former  prosperity  ;  in  ch.  x.xx.  he  exhibits 
the  striking  contrast  between  that  and  his  present  condition  ;  and  in  ch.  xxxi.  in  answer  to  the 
accusations  of  his  friends,  he  relates  the  principal  transactions  of  his  past  life,  asserts  his  integ- 
rity as  displayed  in  the  discharge  of  all  the  duties  which  he  owed  to  God  and  man,  and  again 
appeals  to  the  omniscience  and  justice  of  God  in  proof  of  his  sincerity.     Lowlh, 

This  chapter  is  occupied  with  a  description  of  his  former  prosperity.  He  refers  particularly 
to  the  times  when  God  smiled  upon  and  blessed  him  ;  when  he  lifted  the  light  of  his  countenance 
upon  him,  and  his  children  were  round  about  him,  vs.  1-6;  he  speaks  of  tho  respect  which  waM 


82 


JOB. 


shown  him  when  he  went  into  the  place  of  public  concourse — when  y  ing  men  retire*  «for« 
him,  when  princes  and  nobles  were  silent  in  his  presence,  and  when  the  ears  and  eye-  ot  all 
blessed  him  for  the  good  that  he  had  done  to  tbe  fatherless  and  to  him  that  was  ready  to  perish, 
vs.  7-13 ;  he  speaks  of  the  time  when  he  put  on  righteousness  as  a  robe  and  a  diadem,  and  when 
he  was  eyes  to  tbe  blind  and  feet  to  the  lame,  vs.  14-17  ;  and  be  refers  to  the  fact  that  he  then 
supposed  that  bis  prosperity  would  be  permanent,  and  to  the  universal  respect  in  which  he  was 
held  by  all  classes  of  men,  vs.  18-25.  Tbe  whole  picture  in  tbe  chapter  is  one  of  uncommon 
beauty,  and  describes  a  state  of  the  highest  happiness  and  prosperity.  It  is  the  image  ol  a 
venerable  patriarch,  a  wise  counsellor,  a'universal  benefactor,  a  composer  of  difficulties,  a  man 
enjoying  universal  confidence  and  affection.  It  is  an  image  of  what  was  aimed  at  as  constitu- 
ting the  highest  state  of  earthly  blessedness  in  the  estimation  of  those  who  lived  in  patriarchal 
times,  and  is  a  beautiful  portraiture  of  what  would  be  regarded  as  the  most  honorable  distinction 
in  the  hospitality  and  piety  of  the  East.  At  tbe  same  time  it  is  a  beautiful  description  of  pietjr 
and  its  effects  every  where  ;  and  of  the  respect  shown  to  wisdom,  virtue,  and  benevolence,  jn 
all  ages. 


lyrOREOVER,    Job    'contin- 
ued  his  parable,  and  said, 
2  O  that  I  were  as  in  months 
past,   as  ill  the  days  tvhen  God 
preserved  me  ; 

1.  Moreover,  Job  continued  his 
parable.  See  Notes  on  ch.  xxvii.  1. 
It  is  probable  tliat  Job  had  paused  to 
see  if  any  one  would  attempt  a  reply. 
As  his  friends  were  silent,  he  resumed 
his  remarks  and  went  into  a  more  full 
statement  of  liis  sutTerings.  The  fact 
that  Job  more  than  once  paused  in 
his  addresses  to  give  his  friends  an 
opportunity  to  speak,  and  that  they 
were  silent  when  thev  seemed  called 
upon  to  vindicate  their  former  senti- 
ments, was  what  particularly  roused 
the  vv-rath  of  Elihu  and  induced  him 
to  answer.   Ch.  xxxii.  2-5. 

2.  Oh  that  I  iccrc  Heb  ,  "  Who 
will  give.'"  a  common  mode  of  ex- 
jjressing  a  wish.  Comp.  ch.  vi.  8, 
xi.  5,  xiii.  5,  xxiii.  3.  'i  Jls  in  months 
past.  O  that  I  could  recall  my  former 
prosperity,  and  be  as  I  was  when  I 
enjoyed  the  protection  and  i'avor  of 
God.  Probably  one  object  of  this 
wish  was  that  his  friends  might  see 
fiom  v/hat  a  state  of  honor  and  hap- 
piness he  had  been  brought  down. 
They  complained  of  him  as  impa- 
tient. He  may  have  designed  to 
show  thetn  that  his  lamentations 
were  not  unreasonable,  when  it  was 
borne  in  mind  from  what  a  state  of 
prosperity  he  had  boon  taken,  and  to 
what  a  condition  of  wo  he  had  been 
brought.      He,    tlierefore,   goes   into 


3  When  '^  his  candle  shined 
upon  my  head,  and  whrn  by  his 
light  I  "  walked  through  dark- 
ness ; 

I  added  to  take  up.      2  or,  lamp.       a  Ps.  23.  4 


this  extended  description  of  his  former 
happiness,  and  dwells  particularly 
upon  the  good  which  he  was  enabled 
then  to  do,  and  the  respect  which  was 
shown  him  as  a  public  benefactor. 
A  passage  strikingly  similar  to  this 
occurs  in  Virgil,  .^En.  viii.  560  : 
O  mibi  pva^teritos  referat  si  Jupiter  annos  ' 
Qualis  eram,  cum   primam  aciom  Praeneste 

sub  ipsa 
Stravi,  scutorumque  incendi  victor  acervos. 
"  O  would  kind  beaven  my  strength  and  youth 
recall, 
Puch  as  [  was  beneath  Praeneste's  wall ; 
There  where  I  made  tbe  foremost  foes  retire, 
And  set  whole  heaps  of  conquered  shields  on 
fire  !" 
3.    When  his  candle  shinrd,  vpon  my 
head.     Mnrg.  or,  lamp.     Comp   Notes 
ch   xviii.  6.     It  was  remarked  in  the 
Note  on   that  place,  that  it  was  com- 
mon to  have  lamps  or  lights  always 
burning  in  a   house  or  tent.     When 
Job   speaks  of  the  lamps  shining  nn 
his  he/id,  the  allusion   is   j)robably  to 
tiie    custom    of    sus])cn(iing    a    lamp 
from    the    ceiling— a    custom    which 
prevails  among  the   wealthy  Arabs. 
Srott.      Virgil    speaks    of    a    similar 
thing  in  the  palace  of  Dido  : 

Bependeiit  lychni  laquearibus  aureii 

Incensi.  /En.  i.  726. 

"  From  gilded  roofs  depending  lamps  display 
Nocturnal  beams  that  imitate  the  day." 
Dryden. 

See,  also,  Lucretius,  ii.  24.     Indeed 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


83 


4  As  I  was  in  the  days  of  my    youth,  when  the  secret  "  of  God 
a  Ps. 25. 14.  i  was  upon  my  tabernacle  ; 


tlu'  custom  is  common  every  where  ; 
and  tlie  imnge  is  a  beautiful  illustra- 
tion of  the  divine  favor — of  light  and 
linppiness  imparted  by  God,  the  great 
source  of  blessedness  from  above. 
The  Hebrew  word  rendered  '  shined  ' 
(ISllia)  has  been  the  occasion  of  some 
perplexity  in  regard  to  its  form.  Ac- 
cording to  Ewald,  Heb.  Gram.  p. 
471,  and  Gesenius,  Lex.,  it  is  the 
Iliphil  form  of  ^'5'^ — to  shine,  the 
He  preformative  being  dropped.  The 
sense  is,  'In  his  causing  the  light  to 
shine.'  Others  suppose  that  it  is  the 
infinitive  of  Kal,  with  a  pleonastic 
suffi.K  ;  meaning  '  when  it  shined  ;' 
i.  e.  tfie  light.  The  sense  is  essen- 
tially the  same.  Comp.  Schultens 
and  RosenmOller  in  loco.  IT  And 
when  by  his  light.  Under  his  guid- 
ance and  direction.  IT  /  tcalked 
through  darkness.  "  Here  is  refer- 
ence probably  to  the  fires  or  other 
ligU's  which  were  carried  before  the 
caravans  in  tiieir  nightly  travels 
through  the  deserts."  JS'oyes.  The 
meaning  is,  that  God  afforded  him 
protection,  instruction,  and  guidance. 
In  places,  and  on  subjects  that  would 
have  been  othervvige  dark,  he  coun- 
selled and  led  him.  He  enjoyed  the 
manifestations  of  the  divine  favor  ;  his 
understanding  was  enlightened,  and 
he  was  enabled  to  compreiiend  sub- 
jects that  would  have  been  otherwise 
perplexing  and  difficult.  He  refers, 
probably,  to  the  inquiries  about  the 
divine  government  and  administra- 
tion, and  to  the  questions  that  came 
before  him  as  a  magistrate  or  an  um- 
pire— questions  that  he  was  enabled 
K)  determine  with  wisdom. 

A.  Jls  I  icas  in  the  days  of  my  youth. 
The  word  here  rendered  youth  (^~}!^), 
properly  means  autumn — from  mTI'^j 
to  p/iicA,^?///,  as  being  the  time  when 
fruits  are  gathered.  Then  it  means 
that  wiiich  is  mature;  and  the  mean- 
ing here  is  probably  mature  or  manly 
— "  As  I  was  in  the  days  of  my  ripe- 


ness ;"  that  is,  of  my  vigor  or  strength. 
The  whole  passage  shows  that  it  does 
not  mean  youth.,  for  he  goes  on  to 
describe  the  honor  and  respect  shown 
to  him  when  in  mature  life.  So  the 
Septuagint — "Ots  fifitjv  inL[}oC&o)V 
odnvq — "When  I  made  heavy,  or 
laded  my  ways,"  an  expression  refer- 
ring to  autumn  as  being  laden  with 
fruit.  So  we  speak  of  the  spring,  the 
autumn,  and  tlie  winter  of  life,  and 
by  the  autumn  denote  the  maturity 
of  vigor,  experience,  and  wisdom. 
So  the  Greeks  used  the  word  onowa, 
Pindar,  fslhm.  2,  7,  8;  JVem.  5,10, 
^schyl.  Suppl.  1005, 1022.  So  Ovid  : 

Excessit  Autumnus  posito  fervore  juventas 
Maturus,  mitisque  inter  juvenemque   eeneni- 

que : 
Temperie  mcdius,  sparsis  per  tempora  canis. 
Inde  senilis)  hiems  trcmulo  venit  liorrida  passu. 
Aut  spolidta  suos,  aut,  quos  habct,  alba  capil- 

los.  Metara.  15.  200. 

The  wish  of  Job  was,  that  he  might 
be  restored  to  the  vigor  of  mature 
life,  and  to  the  influence  and  honors 
which  he  had  then,  or  rather,  per- 
haps, it  was  that  they  might  have  a 
view  of  what  he  was  then,  that  they 
might  see  from  what  a  height  he  had 
fallen,  and  what  cause  he  had  of 
complaint  and  grief.  IT  When  the 
secret  of  God  was  itpon  my  tabernacle. 
The  meaning  of  this  language  is  not 
clear,  and  considerable  variety  has 
obtained  in  the  interpretation.  The 
LXX  render  it,  "  When  God  watch- 
ed over  —  iniay.onr]v  innidro  —  my 
house."  Vulg.,  "When  God  was 
secretly  in  mv  tabernacle."  Noyes, 
"  When  God  was  the  friend  of  my 
tent."  Coverdale  renders  the  whole, 
"  As  I  stood  when  I  was  wealthy  and 
had  enough  ;  when  God  prospered 
my  house."  Umbreit,  Als  noch  trau- 
lich  Gott  in  meinem  Zette  weilte — 
"  When  God  remained  cordially  in 
my  tent."  Herder,  "  When  God 
took  counsel  with  me  in   my  tent." 

The  word  rendered  secret  ("^"'■'3), 
means  a  couch  or  cushion  on  which 
one   reclines,   and    then    a   divan,  or 


84 


JOB. 


a  De.  33.  24. 


5  When    the    Almighty    was    with  butter,  and  the  rock  poured 
yet  with  me,  when  my  children    '  me  out  rivers  of  oil ; 
were  about  me  ;  i      7  When  I  went  out  to  the  gate 

6  When  °  I  washed  my  steps    through  the  city,  when  I  prepared 

my  seat  in  the  street ! 

seems  more  probable  that  the  image 
is  designed  to  denote  superfluity  or 
abundance  ;  and  that  where  he  trod 
streams  of  milk  or  cream  flowed — so 
abundant  was  it  round  him.  The 
word  rendered  steps  (C5"^^rl)  does 
not  property  denote  the  feet,  but  the 
tread,  the  going,  the  stepping.  This 
sense  corresponds  with  that  of  the 
other  member  of  the  parallelism. 
IT  ^nrf  the  rock  poured  me  out  rivers 
of  oil.  Marg.  with  vie.  The  idea  is, 
that  the  very  rock  near  which  he 
stood,  seemed  to  pour  forth  oil.  In- 
stead of  water  gushing  out,  such 
seemed  to  be  the  abundance  with 
which  he  was  blessed,  that  tlie  very 
rock  poured  out  a  running  stream  ol 
oil.  Oil  was  of  great  value  among 
the  Orientals.  It  was  used  as  an 
article  of  food,  for  light,  for  anoint- 
ing the  body,  and  as  a  valuable  medi- 
cine. To  say,  then,  that  one  had 
abundance  of  oil,  was  the  same  as  to 
say  that  he  had  ample  means  of  com- 
fort and  of  luxury.  Perhaps  by  the 
word  rock  here,  there  is  an  allusion 
to  the  places  where  olives  grew.  It 
is  said  that  those  which  produced  the 
best  oil  grew  upon  rocky  mountains. 
There  may  be,  also,  an  allusion  to 
this  in  Dcut.  xxxii.  13:  "He  made 
liim  to  suck  honey  out  of  the  rock, 
and  oil  out  of  the  flinty  rock."  Prof. 
hee,  and  some  others,  however,  un- 
derstand here  by  the  rock,  the  press 
where  oil  was  extracted  from  olives, 
and  which  it  is  supposed  was  some- 
times made  of  stone. 

7.  When  I  went  ojit  to  the  gate 
The  gate  of  a  city  was  a  place  of 
public  concourse,  and  where  courts 
were  usually  held.  Job  speaks  here 
as  a  magistrate,  and  of  the  time  when 
he  went  forth  to  sit  as  a  judge,  to  try 
causes.  U  When  I  prepared  my  seat 
in  the  street.  That  is,  to  sit  as  a  judge. 
The   seat  or  tribunal   was  placed  in 


circle  of  friends  sitting  together  in 
consultation.  See  the  word  explain- 
ed in  the  Notes  on  ch.  xv.  8.  The 
idea  here  probably  is,  that  God  came 
into  his  tent  or  dwelling  as  a  friend, 
and  that  Job  was,  as  it  were,  admit- 
ted to  the  secrecy  of  his  friendship 
and  to  an  acquaintance  with  his 
plans. 

5.  IVhen  the  ^mighty  was  jjet 
with  me.  Job  regarded  God  as  with- 
drawn from  him.  He  now  looked 
back  with  deep  interest  to  the  time 
when  he  dwelt  with  him. 

6.  When  I  washed  my  steps  with 
butter.  On  the  word  rendered  butter, 
see  Notes  on  Isa.  vii.  15.  It  properly 
means  curdled  milk.  Umbreit  ren- 
ders it,  Sahne  ;  cream.  Noyes,  milk 
and  so  Wemyss.  The  LXX,  »  When 
my  ways  flowed  with  butter" — 
poiitvQo) .  So  Coverdale,  "When 
my  ways  ran  over  with  butter." 
Herder,  "  And  where  I  went  a  stream 
of  milk  flowed  on."  The  sense  may 
be,  that  cream  or  butter  was  so  plenty 
that  he  was  able  to  make  use  of  it 
for  the  most  common  purposes — even 
for  that  of  washing  his  feet.  That 
butter  was  sometimes  used  for  the 
purpose  of  anointing  the  feet — proba- 
bly for  comfort  and  health — as  oil 
was  for  the  head,  is  mentioned 
by  Oriental  travellers.  Hassilquist 
(Travels  in  Palestine,  p.  58),  speak- 
ing of  the  ceremonies  of  the  priests 
at  Magnesia  on  Holy  Thursday,  says, 
"  The  priest  washed  and  dried  tlie 
feet,  and  afterward  besmeared  them 
with  butter,  which  it  was  alleged  was 
made  from  the  first  milk  of  a  young 
cow."  Bruce  says  that  the  king  of 
Abyssynia  daily  anointed  his  head 
with  butter.  Burder,  in  Ilo.senmtll- 
ler's  aite  u.  neue  MorgenIand,i/i  loc. 
It  is  possible  that  this  use  of  butter 
was  as  ancient  as  the  time  of  Job, 
and  that  he  here  alludes  to  it,  but  it 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


85 


8  The  young  men  saw  me, 
and  hid  themselves  ;  and  the 
aged  arose,  and  stood  up. 

9  The  princes  refrained  talk- 

1    The  voice  of  the  nobles  7i)as  hid, 

tlie  street,  in  tlie  open  air,  before  the 
gate  of  the  city,  where  great  num- 
bers might  be  convened,  and  hear 
and  see  justice  done.  The  Arabs,  to 
(his  day,  hold  their  courts  of  justice 
in  an  open  phice,  under  tlie  heavens, 
as  in  a  field  or  a  market-place.  Nor- 
den's  Travels  in  Egypt,  ii.  140. 
Tiiere  has  been,  however,  great 
variety  of  opinion  in  regard  to  the 
meaning  of  this  verse.  Schultens 
enumerates  no  less  than  ten  diflerent 
interpretations  of  the  passage.  Her- 
der translates  it, 

"  When  from  my  house  I  went  to  the  assembly, 
And  spread  my  carpet  in  the  place  of  meet- 
ing." 

Prof.  Lee  translates  it,  "  When  I 
went  forth  from  the  gate  to  the  pulpit, 
and  prepared  my  seat  in  the  broad 
place."  He  supposes  that  Job  refers 
to  occasions  wh6n  he  addressed  the 
people,  and  to  the  respect  which  was 
shown  him  then.  Dr.  Good  renders 
it,  "  As  I  went  forth,  the  city  rejoiced 
at  me."  It  is  probable,  however, 
that  our  common  version  has  given 
the  true  signification.  The  word  ren- 
dered city  (f^*?.!^),  is  a  poetic  form  for 
('^t"'P)  ci<7/,  but  does  not  frequently 
occur.  It  is  found  in  Prov.  viii.  3, 
ix.  3,  14,  xi.  11.  The  phrase  '■ujion 
the  city  ' — Heb.  r'^i^'^bs  — or,  «  over 
the  city,'  may  refer  to  the  fact  that 
the  gate  was  in  an  elevated  place,  or 
that  it  was  the  c/u'e/"  place,  and,  as  it 
were,  over  or  at  the  head  of  the  city. 
Tlie  meaning  is,  that  as  he  went  out 
from  his  house  toward  the  gate  that 
was  situated  in  the  most  important 
part  of  the  city,  all  did  him  reverence. 
8.  The  ijouitg  men  saw  me,  and  hid 
fhrmsclvfs.  That  is,  they  retired  as 
if  awed  at  my  presence  They  gave 
place  to  me,  or  reverently  withdrew 
as  I  passed  along.  IF  ^nd  the  aged 
arose,  vnA'stood  up.  Tlicy  not  merely 


ing,  and  laid  their  hand  on  their 
mouth. 

10  The  'nobles  held  their 
peace,  and  their  tongue  cleaved 
to  the  roof  of  their  mouth. 

rose,  but  they  continued  to  stand  still 
until  I  had  passed  by.  "  This  is  a  mos 
elegant  description,  and  exhibits  most 
correctly  the  great  reverence  and 
respect  which  was  paid,  even  by  the 
old  and  the  decrepit,  to  the  holy  man, 
in  passing  along  tlie  streets,  or  wiien 
he  sat  in  public.  They  not  only 
rose,  which  in  men  so  old  was  a 
great  mark  of  distinction,  but  they 
stood  ;  and  they  continued  to  do  it, 
though  the  attempt  was  so  difficult." 
Lowth.  The  whole  image  presents  a 
beautiful  illustration  of  Oriental  man- 
ners, and  of  the  respect  paid  to  a 
man  of  known  excellence  of  char- 
acter and  distinction. 

9.  The  princes  refrained  talking. 
As  a  mark  of  respect,  or  in  awe  of 
his  presence.  IT  Jlnd  laid  their  hand 
on  their  mouth.  To  lay  the  finger  or 
the  hand  on  the  mouth  is  every  where 
an  action  expressive  of  silence  or 
respect.  Notes  ch.  xxi.  5.  "  In  one 
of  the  subterranean  vaults  of  Egypt, 
where  the  mummies  lie  buried,  they 
found  in  the  coffin  an  embalmed  body 
of  a  woman,  before  which  was  placed 
a  figure  of  wood,  representing  a  youth 
on  his  knees,  laying  a  finger  on  his 
mouth,  and  holding  in  his  other  hand 
a  sort  of  chafing-dish,  which  was 
placed  on  his  head,  and  in  which, 
without  doubt,  had  been  some  per- 
fumes."  Maillet. 

10.  Th e  JVohlcs .  Marg  .f"  The  voice 
of  the  nobles  was  hid."  Ijiterally, 
tins  may  be  rendered, "  as  to  the  voice, 
the  nobles  hid  themselves  ;"  or  the 
phrase   here    employed    (Ci'1i53  Pip 

'"*?n?)  may  be  rendered,  "  the  voice 
of  the  nobles  was  hid  " — it  beingcom- 
mon  in  the  Hebrew  when  two  nouns 
come  together,  of  different  numbers 
and  gender,  for  the  verb  to  conform  to 
the  latter.  Rosenmtlller.  The  word 
'  nobles  '  here  is  to  be  understood  in 


86 


JOB. 


11  When  the  ear  heard  me, 
then  it  blessed  "  me  ;  and  when 
the  eye  saw  7ne,  it  gave  witness  to 
me  : 

12  Because  I  delivered  ''  the 
poor  that  cried,  and  the  father- 
less, and  him  that  had  none  to 
help  him. 

the  sense  of  counsellors,  or  men  of 
rank.  They  would  now  be  called 
Emirs,  or  Shefks.  IT  Jlnd  their  tongue 
cleaved  to  the  roof  of  their  mouth. 
They  were  so  awed  by  my  presence 
that  they  could  not  speak. 

11.  When  the  ear  heard  me.  A 
personification  for  "  they  who  heard 
me  speak,  blessed  me."  That  is, 
they  commended  or  praised  me.  TI 
^nd  when  the  eye  sate  me.  All  who 
saw  me.  U  It  gave  witness  to  me. 
That  is,  the  fixed  attention  to  what 
he  said,  and  the  admiration  which 
was  shown  by  the  eyes  of  the  multi- 
tudes, were  witnesses  of  the  respect 
and  honor  in  which  he  was  held. 
Gray  has  a  beautiful  expression  simi- 
lar to  this  when  he  says, 

"  He  reads  his  history  in  a  nation's  eyes." 

12.  Because  I  delivered  the  poor 
that  cried.  This  is  spoken  of  him- 
self as  a  magistrate  or  judge — for  the 
whole  description  relates  to  that. 
The  meaning  is,  that  when  the  poor 
man,  who  had  no  means  of  employ- 
ing counsel,  brought  his  cause  be- 
fore him,  he  heard  him  and  deliv- 
ered him  from  the  grasp  of  the  op- 
pressor. He  never  made  an  appeal 
to  him  in  vain.  Comp.  Prov.  xxi.  13, 
xxiv.  11,  12.  U  JJnd.  the  fatherless. 
The  orphan  who  brought  his  cause 
before  him.  He  became  the  patron 
and  protector  of  those  whose  natural 
protectors — their  parents — had  been 
removed  by  death.  Comp.  Notes  on 
Isa.  i.  17.  H  Jlnd  him  that  had  none 
to  help  him.  Tlie  poor  man  who  had 
no  powerful  patron.  Job  says  that, 
as  a  magistrate,  he  particularly  re- 
garded the  cause  of  sucli  persons, 
and  saw  tliat  justice  was  done   them 


13  The  blessing  of  hint  that 
was  ready  to  perish  came  upon 
me  :  and  I  caused  the  widow's 
heart  to  sing  for  joy. 

14  I  '  put  on  righteousness, 
and  it  clothed  me  :  my  judgment 
was  as  a  robe  and  a  diadem. 


a  Lu.  4.  22. 
24.  11,  12. 


11.27.        6  Ps.  72.  12.  Pr.21. 13 

c  Is.  61.  10.  Ep.  6.  14. 


— a  beautiful  image  of  the  administra- 
tion of  justice  in  patriarchal  times. 
This  is  the  sense  in  which  our  trans- 
lators understood  this.  But  the  paral- 
lelism seems  rather  to  require  that 
this  should  be  applied  to  the  father- 
less who  had  no  one  to  aid  him,  and 
the  Hebrew,  by  understanding  the 
conjunctive  1  as  meaning  when,  will 
bear  this  construction.  So  it  is  un- 
derstood by  RosenmUller,  Umbreit, 
Herder,  and  Noyes. 

13.  Tlie  blessing  of  him  that  was 
ready  to  perish,  &c.  Of  the  man 
who  was  falsely  accused,  and  who 
was  in  danger  of  being  condemned, 
or  of  him  who  was  exposed  to  death 
by  poverty  and  want.  H  Jlnd  I  caused 
the  widoic's  heart  to  sing  for  joy. 
By  becoming  her  patron  and  friend  ; 
by  vindicating  her  cause,  and  saving 
her  from  the  oppressive  exactions  of 
others      Comp.  Isa.  i.  17. 

14.  /  jnit  on  righteousness.  Or 
justice — as  a  magistrate,  and  in  all 
his  transactions  with  his  fellow-men. 
It  is  common  to  compare  moral  con- 
duct or  traits  of  character  with  various 
articles  of  apparel.  Comp.  Notes  on 
Isa.  xi.  f),  Ixi.  10.  IT  And  it  clothed 
me.  It  was  my  covering ;  I  was 
adorned  with  it.  So  we  speak  ot 
being  "  clothed  with  humility  ;"  and 
so,  also,  of  the  "garments  of  salva- 
tion." IT  My  judgment.  Or  rather 
justice — particularly  as  a  magistrate. 
IT  Was  as  a  rohe.  The  word  robe 
(b'^'S'O)  denotes  the  mantle  or  outer 
garment  that  is  worn  by  an  Oriental. 
It  constitutes  the  most  elegant  part  of 
his  dress.  Notes  on  Isa.  v:.  1.  The 
idea  is,  that  his  strict  justice  was  to 
him  what  the  full  flowino;  robe  vva? 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 


87 


15  I  was  eyes  "  to  the  blind, 
and  feet  was  I  to  the  lame. 

IG  I  was  a  father  to  the  poor  ; 
and  ''  the  cause  which  I  knew  not 
1  searched  out. 

a  Nu.  10.  31.         b  Pr.  29.  7.  1  jaw-tccth, 

or,  ifrinders.  2  cast.  c  Ps.  30.  7. 

in  apparel.  It  was  that  for  which  lie 
was  best  known  ;  that  by  wliich  he 
was  distinguished,  as  one  would  be 
by  an  elegant  and  costly  robe.  ^  And 
a  diadem.  Or,  turban.  The  word 
here  used  ^"^S-i  — is  from  TjS^  ,  to  roll, 
or  wind  around,  and  is  applied  to 
the  turban,  because  it  was  thus 
wound  around  the  head.  It  is  ap- 
plied to  the  mitre  of  the  high-priest 
(^Zech.  iii.  5),  and  may  also  be  to 
a  diadem  or  crown.  It  more  properly 
here,  however,  denotes  the  turban, 
which  in  the  East  is  an  essential  part 
of  dress.  The  idea  is,  that  he  was 
fully  clad  or  adorned  with  justice. 

1.3.  /  icas  eyes  to  the  blind.  An  ex- 
ceedingly beautiful  expression,  whose 
meaning  is  obvious.  He  became 
their  counsellor  and  guide.  H  And 
feet  was  /  to  the  lame.  I  assisted  them, 
and  became  their  benefactor.  I  did 
for  them,  in  providing  a  sujiport,  what 
thev  would  have  done  for  themselves 
if  they  had  been  in  sound  health. 

16.  /  was  a  father  to  the  poor.  I 
took  them  under  my  protection,  and 
treated  them  as  if  they  were  my  [ 
own  children,  "il  And  the  cause  which 
I  knew  not  I  searched  out.  This  is 
.according  to  the  interpretation  of 
Jerome.  But  the  more  probable  i 
meaning  is,  '  the  cause  of  him  who  j 
was  unknown  to  me,  that  is,  of  the 
stranger,  I  searched  out.'  So  Rosen- 
muller.  Herder,  Umbreit,  and  Good.  I 
According  to  this,  the  sense  is,  that, 
ns  a  magistrate,  he  gave  particular  at- 
tention to  the  cuuse  of  the  stranger, 
and  investigated  it  with  care.  It  is 
po.ssible  that  Job  here  designs  specifi- 
cally to  reply  to  the  charge  brought 
against  him  by  Eliphaz  in  ch.  xxii. 
6,  seq.  The  duty  of  showing  partic- 
ular attention  to  the  stranger  is  often 
inculcated  in  the  Bible,  and  was  re- 


17  And  I  brake  the  'juvs  oi 
the  wicked,  and  "plucked  the 
spoil  out  of  his  teeth. 

18  Then  '  I  said,  I  shall  die 
in  my  nest,  and  I  shall  multiply 
7ny  days  as  the  sand. 

garded  as  essential  to  a  character  of 
uprightness  and  piety  among  the 
Orientals. 

17.  And  I  brake  the  jaics  of  the 
loicked.  Marg.  '■\ja2c-teeth,  ov,  grind- 
ers." The  Hebrew  word  n"?n5D  ^ 
the  same,  with  the  letters  transposed, 
as  m'ynb'O  ,  is  from  SJinb  ,  to  bite— and 
means  the  biters,  the  grinders,  the 
teeth.  It  is  not  used  to  denote  the 
jaw.  The  image  here  is  taken  from 
wild  beasts,  with  whom  Job  com- 
pares the  wicked,  and  says  that  he 
rescued  the  helpless  from  their  grasp, 
as  he  would  a  lamb  from  a  lion  or 
wolf.  TT  And  phtcked.  Marg  cast. 
The  margin  is  a  literal  translation, 
but  the  idea  is,  that  he  violently  seized 
the  spoil  orprey  which  the  wicked  had 
taken,  and  by  force  tore  it  from  him. 

19.  Then  I  said.  So  prosperous 
was  I,  and  so  permanent  seemed  my 
sources  of  happiness.  I  saw  no 
reason  why  all  this  should  not  con- 
tinue, and  why  the  same  respect  and 
honor  should  not  attend  me  to  the 
grave.  IT  /  shall  die  in  my  nest.  I 
shall  remain  where  I  am,  and  in  my 
present  comforts,  while  I  live.  I 
shall  then  die  surrounded  by  my 
family  and  friends,  and  encompassed 
with  honors.  A  nest  is  an  image  of 
quietness,  harmlessness,  and  comfort. 
So  Spenser  speaks  of  a  nest : 

Fiiyre  bo.soma  !  fraught  with  virtue's  richest 

tresure, 
77(C  neast  of  love,  the  lodging  of  delight, 
The  bowre  of  bliss,  the  paradise  of  pleasure. 
Sonnet  LXXVI. 

The  image  here  expresses  the  firm 
hope  of  a  long  life,  and  of  a  peace- 
fid  and  tranquil  death.  The  LXX 
render  it,  "  My  age  shall  grow  old 
like  the  trunk  of  a  palm  tree  " — 
arih/oq  (foti'iy.oq — I  shall  live  long. 
Comp.  Bochart,  Hieroz.  P.  ii.   Lib. 


i 

i 


88 


JOB. 


19  My  root  teas  '  spread  out 

1  opened. 


vi.  c.  V.  p.  820,  for  the  reason  of  this 
translation.  IT  ^nd  I  shall  multiply 
my  days  as  the  sand.  Herder  ren- 
ders this,  "  the  Phoenix  ;"  and  ob- 
serves that  tlie  PhoBnix  is  obviously 
intended  here,  only  through  a  double 
sense  of  the  word,  the  figure  of  the 
bird  is  immediately  changed  for  that 
of  the  palm-tree.  The  Rabbins  gen- 
erally understand  by  the  word  here 
rendered  '  sand  '  (^'^^)  the  Phoenix — 
a  fabulous  bird,  much  celebrated  in 
ancient  times.  Rabbi  Osaia  in  the 
book  Bereshith  Rabba,  or  Commen- 
tary on  Genesis,  says  of  this  bird, 
"  that  all  animals  obeyed  the  woman 
[in  eating  the  forbidden  fruit]  except 
one  bird  only  by  the  name  of  ?Tn  — 
hhul,  concerning  which  it  is  said  in 
Job,  '  I  will  multiply  my  days  as  the 
AAmZ— ^in3.'"  Rabbi  Jannai  adds 
to  this,  that  "  this  bird  lives  a  thou- 
sand years,  and  in  the  end  of  the 
thousand  years,  a  fire  goes  forth  from 
its  nest,  and  burns  it  up,  but  there  re- 
mains, as  it  were,  an  egg,  from  which 
again  the  members  grow,  and  it  rises 
to  life."  Comp.  Nonnus  in  Dionys. 
Lib.  40.  Martial,  Claudian,  and  others 
in  Bochart,  Hieroz.  P.  ii.  Lib.  vi.  c. 
V.  pp.  818-825.  But  the  more  cor- 
rect rendering  is,  doubtless,  the  com- 
mon one,  and  it  is  usual  in  the  Scrip- 
tures to  denote  a  great,  indefinite 
number,  by  the  sand.  Gen.  xxii.  17. 
Judges  vii.  12.  Habak.  i.  9.  A  com- 
parison .similar  to  this  occurs  in  Ovid, 
Metam.  Lib.  xiv.  136.  seq.  : 

Ego  puUeriB  hausti 

Ostendens   cumuluiii,   quot    haberet    corpora 

pulvis, 
Tot  milii  natules  contingere  vana  rogavi. 
The  meaning  is,  that  he  supposed 
his  days  would  be  very  numerous. 
Such  were  his  expectations — expecta- 
tions so  soon  to  be  disappointed.  Such 
was  his  condition — a  condition  so 
soon  to  be  reversed.  The  very  cir- 
cumstances in  which  he  was  placed 
were  fitted  to  begrt  a  too  confident 
expectation  that  his  prosjicrity  would 


by  the  waters,  and  the  dew  lay 
all  night  upon  my  branch. 

continue,  and  the  subsequent  deal- 
ings of  God  with  him  should  lead 
all  who  are  in  similar  circumstances, 
not  to  confide  in  the  stabilily  of  their 
comforts,  or  to  suppo.s^e  that  their 
prosperity  will  be  uninterrupted.  It  is 
difficult,  when  encompassed  with 
friends  and  honors,  to  realize  that 
there  ever  will  be  reverses;  it  is 
difficult  to  keep  the  mind  from  con- 
fiding in  them  as  if  they  viust  be 
permanent  and  secure. 

19  My  root  was  spread  oat  by  the 
waters.  Marg.  as  the  Hebrew,  o^7e?j- 
ed.  The  meaning  is,  that  it  was 
spread  abroad  or  extended  far,  so  that 
the  moisture  of  the  earth  had  free 
access  to  it;  or  it  was  like  a  tree 
planted  near  a  stream,  whose  root  ran 
down  to  the  water.  Tiiis  is  an  image 
designed  to  denote  great  prosperity. 
In  the  East,  such  an  image  would  he 
more  striking  than  with  us.  Here 
green,  large,  and  beautiful  trees  are 
so  common  as  to  excite  little  or  im 
attention.  In  such  a  country  as 
Arabia,  however,  wheie  general  deso 
lation  exists,  such  a  tree  would  be  a 
most  beautiful  object,  and  a  most 
striking  image  of  prosperity.  Comp. 
De  Wette  on  Ps.  i.  3.  IT  Jliul  the  dew 
lay  all  night  vpon  my  branch.  In  the 
absence  of  rain — which  seldom  falls 
in  deserts — the  scanty  vegetation  is 
dependent  on  the  dews  that  fall  at 
night.  Those  dews  are  often  very 
abundant.  Volney  (Travels  i.  51) 
says,  "  VVe,  who  are  inhabitants  of 
humid  regions,  cannot  well  under- 
stand how  a  country  can  be  produc- 
tive without  rain,  but  in  Egypt,  the 
dew  which  falls  copiously  in  the 
night,  supplies  the  place  of  rain." 
See,  also,  Shaw's  Travels,  p.  379. 
"  To  the  same  cause  also  [the  vio- 
lent heat  of  the  day],  succeeded  after- 
wards bj'  the  coldness  of  the  night, 
we  may  attribute  the  plentiful  dews, 
and  those  thick,  ofi'ensive  mists,  one 
or  other  of  which  we  had  every  night 
too  scjisiblc  a  proof  of.  The  dews, 
particularly,  (as  we  had  the  heavens 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


89 


20  My  glory  teas  '  fresh  in  me, 
and  my  "  bow  was  •  renewed  in 
my  hand. 

21  ITnto    me    men    gave    ear, 


a  Gc.  49.  24.        2  cfianj'cd. 


only  for  our  covering),  would  fre- 
quently wet  us  to  the  skin."  The 
sense  here  is,  as  a  tree  standing  on 
the  verge  of  a  river,  and  watered 
each  night  hy  copious  dews,  appears 
beautiful  and  flourishing,  so  was  my 
condition.  The  LXX,  however,  ren- 
der this,  "And  the  dew  abode  at 
night  on  my  harvest" — y.di  f)of)Ofi(; 
civhd&i^iyeTCti,  li<  tw  d-foicifiw  itnv.  So 
the  Chaldce—  nV^'?  ""l^nV  T'':::-^  . 
A  thought,  similar  to  the  one  in  this 
passage,  occurs  in  a  Chinese  Ode, 
translated  by  Sir  William  Jones,  in 
his  works,  vol.  ii.  p.  351  : 

Vide  illius  aquae  rivuni 
Virides  arundines  jucunde  luxuriant  I 
Sie  est  decorus  virtutibus  princeps  noster! 
"  Seest  tliou  yon  stream,  around  whoso  banks 
Tlie  green  reeds  ciowd  in  joyous  ranks  .' 
In  nutrient  virtue  and  in  grace, 
Such  is  the  Prince  that  rules  our  race." 
Dr.  Good. 
20.    My  glory  was  fresh    in    vie. 
Marg.  neio.     "As  we  say,  the  man 
shall  not  overlive  himself."    Umhreit. 
The   idea    is,  tiiat    he    was    not    ex- 
hausted ;  lie  continued  in  vigor  and 
strength.       The    image    is    probably 
taken  from  that  suggested  in  the  pre- 
vious    verse— from     a    tree,     whose 
beauty  and  vigor  were  continued  by 
the  waters,  and  by  the  dew  that  lay  on 
its  branches.     IF  Jind   my  how.     An 
emblem  of  vigor  and  strength.     The 
ancients  fought  with   the    bow,   and 
hence  a  man  who  was  able  to  keep 
his  bow    constantly    drawn,   was  an 
image  of  undimished  and  unwearied 
vigor.     Comp.  Gen.  xlix.  24  :   "  But 
his  bow  abode  in   strength."      H  Was 
renewed  in    my  hand.     Marg.  as  in 
Heb.  changed.     The  meaning  is,  that 
it    constantly    renewed   its    strength. 
The  idea  is  taken  from  a  tree,  which 
changes    by     renevving     its     leaves, 
beauty,  and   vigor.   Isa.  ix.  10,  comp. 
Job  xiv.  7.     The   sense  is,  that  his 
bow   gathered  strength  in  his  hand. 


and  waited,  and  kept  silence  at 
my  counsel. 

22  After  my  words  they  spake 
not  again  ;  and  my  speech  drop- 
ped upon  them. 

T.»e  figure  is  very  conunon  in  Arabic 
poetry,  many  specimens  of  which 
may  be  seen  in  Schultens  in  loco. 

21.  Unto  me  men  gave  ear.  Job 
here  returns  to  the  time  when  he  sat 
in  the  assembly  of  counsellors,  and 
to  the  respectful  attention  which  was 
paid  to  all  that  he  said.  They  list- 
ened when  he  spake  ;  they  waited 
for  him  to  speak  before  they  gave 
their  opinion  ;  and  they  were  then 
silent.  They  neither  interrupted  him 
nor  attempted  a  reply. 

22.  Jlfter  my  toords  they  spake  not 
again.  The  highest  proof  which 
could  be  given  of  deference.  So  full 
of  respect  were  they  that  they  did 
not  dare  to  dispute  him  ;  so  sagacious 
and  wise  was  his  counsel  that  they 
were  satified  with  it,  and  did  not  pre- 
sume to  suggest  any  otiier.  IT  j9nd 
my  speech  dropped  vpoyi  them.  That 
is,  like  the  dew  or  the  gentle  rain. 
So  in  Deut.  xxxii.  2: 

My  doctrine  shall  drop  as  the  rain ; 
My  speech  shall  distil  as  the  dew, 
As  the  small  rain  upon  the  tender  herb. 
And  as  the  showers  upon  the  grass. 

So  Homer  speaks  of  the  eloquence 
of  Nestor, 

ToO  Koi  dnO   y\toaorig  jxiXiro;   yXv/ficoi*  phu 

"  Words  sweet  as   honey    from  his   lips  dis 
till'd.'>  .  Pope. 

So  Milton,  speaking  of  the  eloquence 
of  Belial,  says, 

Though  !ii.<!  tongue 

Dropt  manna,  and  could  make  the  worse  ap- 
pear 
The  better  reason,  to  perplex  and  dash 
Maturest  counsels.  Par.  Lost,  B.  ii. 

The  comparison  in  the  Scriptures  of 
words  of  wisdom  or  persuasion,  is 
sometimes  derived  from  honey,  that 
drops  or  gently  falls  from  the  comb. 
Thus  in  Prov.  v.  3  ; 

For  the  lips  of  a  strange  woman  drop  as  an 

honey-comb, 
And  her  mouih  is  smoother  than  oil. 


90 


JOB. 


23  And  they  waited  for  me  as 
for  the  rain  ;  and  they  opened 
their  mouth  wide  as  for  the  lat- 
ter rain. 


So  in  Cant.  iv.  11  : 

Thy  lips,  O  my  spouse,  drop  as   the  honey- 
comb ; 
Honey  and  milk  are  under  thy  tongue. 

23.  ^'Jnd  they  icaitf.d  for  mc  as  for 
the  rain.  That  is,  as  tlie  dry  and 
tliirsiy  earth  waits  for  the  rain.  This 
is  a  continuation  of  the  beautiful 
image  commenced  in  the  previous 
verse,  and  conveys  the  idea  that  his 
counsel  was  as  necessary  in  the  as- 
semblies of  men  as  tlie  rain  was  to 
give  growth  to  the  seed,  and  beauty 
to  the  landscape.  11  Jlnd  theij  opened 
thdr  mouth  wide.  Expressive  of 
earnest  desire.  Comp.  Ps.  cxi.x.  131 : 
"I  opened  my  mouth  find  panted." 
ir  As  for  the  latter  rain.  The  early 
and  tlie  latter  rains  are  frequently 
spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures,  and  in 
Palestine  and  the  adjacent  regions 
are  both  necessary  to  the  harvest. 
The  early,  or  autumnal  rains,  com- 
mence in  tiie  latter  half  of  October, 
or  the  beginning  of  November,  not 
suddenly,  but  by  degrees,  so  as  to 
give  the  husbandman  an  opportunity 
to  sow  his  wheat  and  barley.  The 
rains  come  mostly  from  the  west,  or 
southwest,  continuing  for  two  or 
three  days  at  a  time,  and  falling  espe- 
cially during  the  nights.  During  tiie 
months  of  ISovember  and  December, 
they  continue  to  fall  heavily;  after- 
wards they  return  only  at  longer  in- 
tervals, and  are  less  heavy  ;  but  at  no 
period  during  the  winter  do  they  en- 
tirely cease  to  occur.  Rain  continues 
to  fall  more  or  less  during  the  month 
of  Marcii,  but  it  is  rare  after  that  pe- 
riod. The  latter  rains  denote  those 
which  fall  in  the  month  of  March, 
and  which  are  so  necessary  in  order 
to  bring  forward  the  harvest,  which 
ripens  early  in  May  or  June.  If 
those  rains  fail,  the  harvest  mate- 
riall)'  suffers,  and  hence  the  expres- 
sions in  the  Scriptures,  that  "  the  hus- 
bandman waits  for  that  rain."   Comp. 


24  Ifl  laughed  on  them,  they 
believed  it  not  ;  and  the  light  of 
my  countenance  they  cast  not 
down. 


James  v.  7.  Prov.  xvi.  15.  The  ex- 
pression, "  the  early  and  the  latter 
rain  "  seems,  unless  some  material 
change  has  occurred  in  Palestine,  not 
to  imply  tiiat  no  rain  fell  in  the  inter- 
val, but  that  those  rains  were  usually 
more  copious,  or  were  especially  ne- 
cessary, first  for  sowing,  and  then  for 
bringing  forward  the  harvest.  In  the 
interval  between  the  "latter"  and 
the  "early"  rains — between  IMarch 
and  October — rain  never  falls,  and 
the  sky  is  usually  serene.  See 
Robinson's  Bibl.  Researches,  vol.  ii. 
pp.  96-100.  The  meaning  here  is, 
that  they  who  were  assembled  in 
counsel,  earnestly  desired  Job  to 
speak,  as  the  farmer  desires  the  rain 
that  will  bring  forward  liis  crop. 

24.  Ifllauglicd07i  them, they  believed 
it  not.  There  is  considerable  variety 
in  the  interpretation  of  this  member 
of  tlie  verse.  Dr.  Good  renders  it, 
"I  smiled  upon  them,  and  they  were 
gay."  Herder,  "  Ifl  laughed  at  them, 
they  were  not  offended."  Coverdale, 
"  \Vhen  I  laughed,  they  knew  well 
it  was  not  earnest."  Schultens,  "1 
will  laugh  at  them,  tiiey  are  not 
secure."  But  RosenmUller,  Jun.  et 
Trem.,  Noyes  and  Umbreit,  accord 
with  the  sense  given  in  our  common 
translation.  The  Hebrew  literally 
is,  "  Should  I  laugh  upon  them,  tliey 
did  not  confide  ;"  and,  according  to 
RosenmUller,  the  meaning  is,  "  Such 
was  the  reverence  for  my  gravit}', 
that  if  at  any  time  I  relaxed  in  my 
severity  of  manner,  they  would 
scarcely  believe  it,  nor  did  they 
omit  any  of  their  reverence  towards 
me,  as  if  familiarit)-  with  the  great 
should  produce  contempt."  Grotius 
explains  it  to  mean,  "  Even  my  jests, 
they  thought,  contained  something 
serious."  The  word  here  used,  how- 
ever (P1^),  means  not  only  to 
laugh  or  smile  upon,  but  to  laugh 
at,  or  deride.  Ps.  lii.  8.  Job    xxx.  1. 


cii.\i-'ri:R  XXIX. 


91 


25  I  chose  out  tlieir  wny,  and 
sat  chief,  and  dwelt  as  a  king  in 

Comp.  Jol)  V.  2*2,  xxxix.  7,  xviii.  22. 
It  seems  to  me,  that  the  sense  is, 
that  so  great  was  liis  iufliieiice,  tliat 
he  was  able  to  control  them  even 
witii  a  smile,  without  saying  a  \\()rcl ; 
that  if,  wlien  a  measure  was  proposed 
in  debate,  he  should  even  smile, 
though  he  said  nothing,  they  would 
liave  no  confidence  in  it,  but  would 
at  once  abandon  it  as  unwise.  No 
higher  intlueiice  than  this  can  be  well 
conceived,  and  tiiis  exposition  accords 
with  the  general  course  of  remark, 
where  Job  traces  along  the  various 
degrees  of  his  influence  till  he  comes 
to  this,  the  highest  of  them  all.  IT 
^Tid  the  light  of  my  couiitrnance  they 
cast  not  doicn.  His  smile  of  favor 
on  an  undertaking,  or  his  smile  at 
the  weakness  or  want  of  wisdom  of 
any  thing  proposed,  they  could  not 
resist.  It  settled  the  matter.  They 
had  not  power  by  their  arguments  or 
moral  courage  to  resist  him  even  if 
he  did  not  say  a  word,  or  even  to 
change  the  aspect  of  his  countenance. 
A  look,  a  token  of  approbation  or 
disapprobation  from  him,  was  enough. 
25.  /  chose  out  their  way.  That  is, 
I  became  their  guide  and  counsellor. 
Rosenmtlller  and  Noycs  explain  this 
as  meaning,  "  When  I  came  among 
them  ;"  tliat  is,  when  I  chose  to  go  in 
their  way,  or  in  their  midst.  But 
the  former  interpretation  better  agrees 
with  the  Hebrew,  and  with  the  con- 
nection. Job  is  speaking  of  the 
honors  shown  to  him,  and  one  of  the 
highest  which  he  could  receive  was 
to  be  regarded  as  a  leader,  and  to 
have  such  respect  shown  to  his 
opinions  that  he  was  even  allowed 
to  select  the  way  in  which  they 
should  go  ;  that  is,  that  his  counsel 
was  implicitly  followed.  ^  Jlnd  sat 
chief.  Heb.  "Sat  head.''  He  was 
at  the  head  of  their  assemblies.  IF 
And  dicelt  as  a  king  in  the  army.  As 
a  king,  surrounded  bv  a  multitude  of 
troops,  all  of  whom  were  subservient 
to  his  will,  and  whom  he  could  com- 
mand at  pleasure.     It  is  not  to  be  in- 


the  army,  as  one  that  comforteth 
the  mourners. 


ferrcd  from  this,  that  Job  was  a  king, 
or  that  he  was  at  the  head  of  a  nation. 
The  idea  is,  merely,  that  the  san)c 
respect  was  shown  to  him  which  is 
to  a  monarch  at  the  head  of  an 
army.  IT  As  one  that  comforttlh 
the  inourners.  In  time  of  peace  I 
was  tlieir  counsellor,  and  in  time  of 
war  they  looked  to  me  for  direction, 
and  in  time  of  affliction  they  came  to 
mc  for  consolation.  There  were  no 
classes  which  did  not  show  me  res- 
pect, and  there  were  no  honors  which 
they  wore  not  ready  to  heap  on  mc. 

It  may  seem,  perhaps,  that  in  this 
chapter  there  is  a  degree  of  self- 
commendation  and  praise  altogether 
inconsistent  with  that  consciousness 
of  deep  unworthiness  which  a  truly 
pious  man  should  have.  How,  it 
may  be  asked,  can  this  spirit  be  con- 
sistent with  religion  .'  Can  a  man 
who  has  anv  proper  sense  of  the  de- 
pravity of  his  heart,  speak  thus  in 
comniendation  of  his  own  righteous- 
ness, and  recount  with  such  apparent 
satisfaction  his  own  good  deeds .' 
Would  not  true  piety  be  more  dis- 
trustful of  self,  and  be  less  disposed 
to  magnify  its  own  doings.'  And  is 
there  not  here  a  recalling  to  recol- 
lection of  former  honors,  in  a  manner 
which  shows  that  the  heart  was  more 
attached  to  them  than  that  of  a  man 
whose  hope  is  in  heaven  should  be.' 
It  may  not  be  possible  to  vindicate 
Job  in  this  respect  altogether,  nor  is 
it  necessary  for  us  to  attempt  to  prove 
that  he  was  entirely  perfect.  Wo 
are  to  remember,  also,  the  age  in 
which  he  lived  ;  we  are  not  to  mea- 
sure what  he  said  and  did  by  the 
knowledge  whicli  we  have,  and  the 
clearer  light  which  shines  upon  us. 
We  are  to  bear  in  recollection  the 
circumstances  in  which  he  v\'as 
placed,  and  perhaps  we  shall  find 
in  them  a  mitigation  for  what  seems 
to  us  to  exhibit  such  a  spirit  of  self- 
reliance,  and  which  looks  so  much 
like  the  lingering  love  of  the  hon- 
ors of  this  world.     Particularly,  we 


92 


JOB. 


may  recall  the  following  considera- 
tions : 

(1.)  He  was  vindicating  himself 
from  charges  of  enormous  guilt  and 
hypocrisy.  To  meet  these  charges, 
he  runs  over  tlie  leading  events  of 
his  life,  and  shows  what  had  been 
his  general  aim  and  purpose.  He 
rnminds  them,  also,  of  the  respect 
and  honor  which  had  been  shown 
him  by  those  who  best  knew  him — 
by  the  poor,  the  needy,  the  inhabit- 
ants of  his  o\vn  city,  the  people  of 
his  own  tribe.  To  vindicate  himself 
from  the  severe  charges  which  had 
been  alleged  against  him,  it  was  not 
improper  thus  to  advert  to  the  general 
course  of  his  life,  and  to  refer  to  the 
respect  in  which  he  had  been  held. 
Who  could  know  him  better  than 
his  neighbors  .'  Who  could  be  better 
witnesses  than  the  poor  whom  he  had 
relieved  ;  and  the  lame,  the  blind,  the 
sorrowful,  whom  he  had  comforted  .' 
Who  could  better  testify  to  his  char- 
acter than  they  who  had  followed 
his  counsel  in  times  of  perplexity 
and  danger .''  Who  would  be  more 
competent  witnesses  than  the  mourn- 
ers whom  he  Iiad  comforted  ? 

(2  )  It  was  a  main  object  with  Job 
to  show  the  greatness  of  his  distress 
and  misery,  and  for  this  purpose  he 
went  into  an  extended  statement  of 
his  former  Jiappiness,  and  especially 
of  the  respect  wliich  Lad  been  shown 
him.  This  he  contrasts  beautifully 
with  his  present  condition,  and  the 
colors  of  the  picture  are  greatly 
heightened  by  the  contrast.  In  form- 
ing our  estimate  of  this  chapter,  we 
should  take  this  object  into  the  ac- 
count, and  should  not  charge  him 
with  a  design  to  magnify  his  own 
righteousness,  when  his  main  purpose 


was  only  to  exhibit  the  extent  and 
depth  of  his  present  woes. 

(3.)  It  is  not  improper  for  a  man  to 
speak  of  his  former  prosperity  and 
Jiappiness  in  the  manner  in  which 
Job  did  He  does  not  speak  of  him- 
self as  having  any  merit,  or  as  rely- 
ing on  this  for  salvation.  He  dis- 
tinctly traces  it  all  to  God  (vs.  2-5), 
and  says  that  it  was  because  he  bless- 
ed him  that  he  had  enjoyed  these 
comforts.  It  was  not  an  improper 
acknowledgment  of  the  mercies 
wliich  he  had  received  from  his 
hand,  and  the  remembrance  was  fitted 
to  excite  his  gratitude.  And  although 
there  may  seem  to  ns  something  like 
parade  and  ostentation  in  thus  dwell- 
ing on  former  honors,  and  recounting 
what  he  had  done  in  days  that  were 
past,  yet  we  should  remember  how 
natural  it  was  for  him,  in  the  circum- 
stances of  trial  in  which  he  then 
was,  to  revert  to  past  scenes,  and  to 
recall  the  times  of  prosperity,  and  the 
days  when  he  enjoyed  the  favor  of 
God. 

(4.)  It  may  be  added,  that  few  men 
have  ever  lived  to  whom  this  descrip- 
tion would  be  applicable.  It  must 
have  required  uncommon  and  very 
remarkable  worth  to  have  made  it 
proper  for  him  thus  to  spoak,  and  to 
be  able  to  say  all  this  so  as  not  to  be 
exposed  to  contradiction.  The  de- 
scription is  one  of  great  beauty,  and 
presents  a  lovely  picture  of  patriarchal 
piety,  and  of  the  respect  whic-h  then 
was  shown  to  eminent  virtue  and 
worth.  It  is  an  illustration  of  the 
respect  that  will  be,  and  that  ought  to 
be,  shown  to  one  who  is  upright  in 
his  dealings  with  men,  benevolent 
towards  the  poor  and  the  helpless, 
and  steady  in  his  walk  with  God. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


ANALYSXS    OF    THE    CHAPTER. 


The  design  of  Job  in  this  chapter  is,  to  contrast  Iiis  condition  at  the  time  when  he  spake  it 
with  liis  former  happiness  and  prosperity.  The  afflictions  wliich  he  describes  are  mainly  those 
which  result  from  the  want  of  respect  and  honor  which  he  had  formerly  enjoyed.  He  begins  by 
laying  (vs.  1-11)  that  the  most  vile  and  abject  of  society  now  treated  him  with  disrespect  and 
Ureveience — the  very  outcasts  and  dregs  of  mankind  now  made  him  their  song.  He  then  goes 
«n  to  say  (vs.  1-2-14)  that  the  youths,  instead  of  showing  him  the  respect  and  reverence  wliich 
they  had  once  done,  now  joined  with  others  in  adding  to  his  calamities.  He  then  (vs.  15-19) 
adverts  to  the  depth  of  his  bodily  sutferings,  and  to  the  painful  and  loathsome  nature  of  the 
disease  which  bad  come  upon  him.  He  says  (vs.  20-24)  that  he  cried  in  vain  to  God,  and  that  he 
felt  assured  that  he  meant  to  bring  him  down  to  death.  In  the  conclusion  of  the  chapter  (vs. 
25-31)  he  says  that  notwithstanding  he  had  shown  compassion  to  the  poor,  and  had  as  a  conse- 
quence looked  for  some  token  of  the  divine  favor  and  approbation,  yet  nothing  but  calamity  came, 
*nd  he  was  now  plunged  in  the  deepest  distress  ;  he  was  a  brother  to  dragons,  and  a  companion 
to  owls. 


DUT  now  they  that  are  '  young- 
■■-^  er  than  I  have  me  in  deri- 
sion, whose  fathers  I  would  have 
disdained  to  have  set  with  the 
dogs  of  my  flock. 

1.  But  now  tliey  tliat  are  younger 
than  I.  Marg.  of  fewer  days.  It  is 
not  probable  that  Job  here  refers  to 
his  three  friends.  It  is  not  possible  to 
determine  their  age  with  accuracy,  but 
in  oh.  XV.  10,  they  claim  tiiat  there 
were  with  them  old  and  very  aged 
men,  much  older  than  the  father  of 
Job.  Thougii  that  place  may  possibly 
refer  not  to  themselves  but  to  those 
who  held  tlie  same  opinions  with 
them,  yet  none  of  those  who  engaged 
in  the  discussion,  except  Elihu 
(ch.  xxxii.  6),  are  represented  as 
young  men.  They  were  the  con- 
temporaries of  Job  ;  men  who  are 
ranked  as  his  friends  ;  and  men  who 
chowed  that  they  had  had  opportu- 
nities for  long  and  careful  observa- 
tion. The  reference  liere,  therefore, 
is  to  the  fact  that  while,  in  the  days 
of  his  prosperity,  even  the  aged  and 
tfTe  honorable  rose  up  to  do  him  rev- 
t'rence,  now  he  was  the  object  of 
contempt  even  by  tlie  young  and  tiic 
wortiiless.  The  Orientals  would  feel 
this  much.  It  was  among  the  chief 
lirliios  with  them  to  show  respect  to 


2  Yea,  whereto  might  the 
strength  of  their  hands  profit 
me,  in  whom  old  age  was  per- 
ished ? 

1  of  fewer  days. 

the  aged,  and  their  sensibilities  were 
peculiarly  keen  in  regard  to  any  in- 
dignity shown  to  them  by  the  young. 
ir  Wkose  fathers  I  icould  have,  dis- 
dained. Who  are  the  children  of 
the  lowest  and  most  degraded  of  the 
community.  How  deep  the  calamity 
to  be  so  fallen  as  to  be  the  subject  of 
derision  by  such  men  !  IT  To  have 
set  with  the  dogs  of  my  flock.  To 
have  associated  with  ray  dogs  in 
guarding  my  flock.  That  is,  they 
were  held  in  less  esteem  than  his 
dogs.  This  was  the  lowest  con- 
ceivable point  of  debasement.  The 
Orientals  had  no  language  that  would 
express  greater  contempt  of  any  one 
than  to  call  him  a  dog.  Comp.Deut. 
xxiii.  18.  1  Sam.  xvii.  43,  xxiv.  14,  2 
Sam.  iii.  8,  ix.  8,  xvi.  9.  2  Kings  vi'ii. 
13.  Note  Isa.  Ixvi.  3. 

2.  Yea,  whereto  might  the  strength 
of  their  hands  proUt  me.  There  has 
been  much  difference  of  opinion  re- 
specting the  meaning  of  this  passage. 
The  general  sense  is  clear.  Job 
means  to  describe  those  who  were 
reduced    by  poverty  and   want,   and 


94 


JOB. 


3  For  want  and  famine  they 
were  '  solitary  ;  fleeing  into  the 

1  or,  dark  »s  the  night. 

who  were   witliout  respectability  or 
home,    and  who   had    no   power    in 
any   way  to    affect   him.     He    states 
that  they  were  so  abject  and  worth- 
less as  not  to  be  worth  his  attention  ; 
but  even  this  fact  is  intended  to  siiow 
how    low  he   was   himself   reduced, 
since  even  the  most  degraded  ranks 
in    life  did  not  show  any  respect  to 
one    who      had    been     honored    by 
princes.     The  Vulgate  renders  this, 
"The   strength  —  virtus  —  of  whose 
hands  is  to  me   as  nothing,  and   they 
are   regarded    as   unworthy   of  life." 
The    LXX,  "  And    the    strength    of 
their  hands,  what  is  it  to  me  ?     Upon 
whom     perfection  —  civvzt).fta  —  has 
perished."     Coverdale,  "  The  power 
and  strength  of  their  hands  might  do 
me  no  good,  and  as  for  their  age,  it  is 
spent  and  passed  away  without  any 
profit."      The    literal    translation    is, 
"  Even  the  strength   of  their  hands, 
what  is  it  to  me.''"     The  meaning  is, 
that  their  power  was  not  worth  re- 
garding.    They  were   abject,  feeble, 
and    reduced  by   hunger — poor  ema- 
ciated creatures,  who  could  do  him 
neither  good  nor  evil.     Yet  this  fact 
did  not  make  h'lm  feci  less  the  indig- 
nity of  being  treated  by  such  vagrants 
with  scorn.     V  In  whom  old  age  icas 
perished.  Or,  rather,  in  whom  vigor, 
or  the   power  of  accomplishing  any 
thing,  has  ceased.     The   word    M^'-?. 
—keldlih,   means    completion,  or  the 
act   or   power  of  finishing    or    com- 
pleting any  thing.     Then  it  denotes 
old  age — age  as,  finished  or  completed. 
Job   v.  26.     Here  it  means  the    ma- 
turity or  vigor  which  would  enable  a 
man  to  complete  or  accomplish  any 
thing,  and  the  idea  is,  that  in  these 
persons    this    had     utterly    perislied. 
Reduced  by  hunger  and   want,   they 
had  no  power  of  effecting  any  thing, 
and  were  unworthy  of  regard.     The 
word   here   used  occurs  only  in  this 
book  in  Hebrew  (chs.  v.  26,  xxx.  2), 
but  is  common  in  Arabic,  where  it 


wilderness  "  in  former  time  deso- 
late and  waste  ; 

2  yesternight. 

refers  to  the  wrinkles,  the  wanness, 
and  the  austere  aspect  of  the  counte 
nance,  especially  in  age.  See  Cas- 
tell's  Lex. 

3.  For  want  and  famine.  By  hunger 
and  poverty  their  strength  is  wholly 
exhausted,  and  they  are  among  tiie 
miserable    outcasts    of    society.       In 
order  to  show  the  dcptii  to  which  he 
himself  was  sunk  in  public   estima- 
tion. Job  goes  into  a   description   of 
the  state  of  these  miserable  vvretcius, 
and  says  that    he   was  treated    with 
contempt  by  the  very  scum  of  society, 
by  those   who   were    reduced   to  the 
most  abject  wretchedness,  and  who 
wandered  in  the  deserts,  subsisting  on 
roots,   without    clothing,  shelter,    or 
home,  and  who  were  chased  away  by 
the    respectable  portion  of  the   com- 
munity as  if  they   were    thieves   and 
robbers.     The   description  is  one  of 
great  power,  and  pre.scnts  a  sad  pic- 
ture of  his  own  condition.     H   Tiiey 
were    solitary.       Marg.    or,   dark  as 
the  night.     Heb.  ll'^l^J.     Tliis  word 
properly  means  hard,  and  is  applied 
to    a    dry,    stony,    barren    soil        In 
Arabic   it   means  a  hard    rock.    Um- 
hreit.     In  ch.  iii.  7,  it  is  applied  to  a 
night  in  which  none  are  born.     Here 
it    seems    to    denote   a  countenance, 
drv,    hard,   emaciated    with    hunger 
JeVome     renders    it,     stcriles.       'I'he 
LXX,  ayni'oq — sterile.       Prof   Lee, 
"Hardly   beset."     The   meaning    is, 
that  they   were   greatly  reduced — or 
dried  vp — by  hunger  and   want.     So 
Umbreit  renders  h,  gantz  ausgedorrt 
— altogether  dried  np.     H  Fleeing  into 
the  wilderness.      Into   the   desert  or 
lonely    wastes.      That    is,   they  fed 
there  to  obtain,  on  what  the  desert 
produced,  a  scanty  subsistence.    Sucli 
is  the  usual  explanation  of  the  word 
rendered  fee — P'^lr;  ■     But  the  A'ul- 
gate,  the  Syriac,  and  the  Arabic,  ren- 
der It  gnau-ing,  and  this  is  followed 
by  Umbreit,  Noyes,  Schultens,   and 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


95 


4  Who  cut  up  mallows  by  the 

Good.  According  to  this  the  mean- 
ing is,  that  they  were  '  gnawers  of 
tlie  desert ;'  tliat  is,  that  they  lived  by 
gnawing  tiie  roots  and  shrubs  which 
they  found  in  the  desert.  This  idea 
is  much  more  expressive,  and  agrees 
with  tlie  connection.  The  word  oc- 
curs in  Hebrew  only  in  this  verse 
and  in  ver.  17,  where  it  is  ren- 
dered "  My  sinews,"  but  whicii  may 
more  appropriately  he  rendered  '  J\ly 
gnawing  pains.'  In  the  Syriac  and 
Arabic  the  word  means  to  ffnoic,  or 
corrode,  as  the  leading  signification, 
and  as  the  sense  of  tiie  word  cannot 
be  determined  by  its  usage  in  the 
Hebrew,  it  is  better  to  depend  on  the 
ancient  versions,  and  on  its  use  in  the 
cognate  languages.  According  to 
this,  the  idea  is,  that  they  picked  up 
a  scanty  subsistence  as  they  could 
find  it,  by  gnawing  roots  and  slirubs 
in  the  deserts.  II  Iniheforviertime. 
Marg.  yesternight.  The  Hebrew  word 
(W2X)  means  properly  last  night ; 
the  latter  part  of  the  preceding  day, 
and  then  it  is  used  to  denote  night  or 
darkness  in  general.  Gesenius  sup- 
poses that  this  refers  to  the  night  of 
desolation,  the  pathless  desert  being 
strikingly  compared  by  the  Orientals 
with  darkness.  According  to  this,  the 
idea  is  not  that  they  had  gone  but 
yesterday  into  the  desert,  but  that 
they  went  into  the  shades  and  soli- 
tudes of  the  wilderness,  far  from  the 
abodes  of  men.  The  sense  then  is, 
'  They  fled  into  the  night  of  desolate 
wastes.'  TI  Desolate  and  loaste.  In 
Hebrew  the  same  word  occurs  in  dif- 
ferent forms,  designed  to  give  empha- 
sis, and  to  describe  the  gloom  and 
solitariness  of  the  desert  in  the  most 
impressive  manner.  We  should  ex- 
press the  same  idea  by  saying  that 
they  hid  themselves  in  the  shades  of 
the  wilderness. 

4.  Who  cut  vp  malloics.  For  the 
purpose  of  eating.  Mallows  are  com- 
mon medicinal  plants,  famous  for  their 
emollient  or  softening  properties,  and 
the  size  and  brilliancy  of  their  flow- 
ers.    It  is  not  probable,  however,  that 


bushes,     and    juniper-roots   for 


Job  referred  to  what  we  commonly 
understand  by  the  word  mallows.  It 
has  been  commonly  supposed  that  he 
meant  a  species  of  plant,  called  liy 
the  Greeks  Halimus,  a  saltish  plant, 
or  salt-wort,  growing  commonly  in 
the  deserts  and  on  poor  land,  and 
eaten  as  a  salad.  The  Vulgate  ren 
ders  it  simply  herhas  ;  the  LXX, 
ahfta. — alima.  The  Hebrew  word, 
according  to  Umbreit,  means  a  com- 
mon salad  of  a  saltish  taste,  whose 
young  leaves  being  cooked,  con- 
stituted food  for  the  poorer  classes. 
The  Hebrew  word  T\^fq  — vidlludhh, 
is  from  n?'?. — vitldhh,  sat,  and 
properly  refers  to  a  marine  plant  or 
vegetable.  IT  By  the  bvshes.  Or 
among  the  bushes ;  that  is,  that 
which  grew  among  the  bushes  of 
the  desert.  They  wandered  about 
in  the  desert  that  they  might  obtain 
this  very  humble  fare.  11  Jljid  juniper- 
roots.  The  word  here  rendered 
"juniper"'  (^Tl"^  —  rothem),  occurs 
only  in  this  place,  and  in  1  Kings 
xix  4,  5.  Ps.  cxx.  4.  In  each  place 
it  is  rendered  juniper.  In  1  Kings  it 
is  mentioned  as  the  tree  under  whicli 
Elijah  sat  down  when  ho  fled  into 
the  wilderness  for  liis  life.  In  Ps. 
cxx  4,  it  is  mentioned  as  a  material  for 
making  coals.  "  Sharp  arrows  of  the 
mighty,  with  coals  of  juniper."  It 
is  rendered  juniper  by  Jerome,  and 
by  the  Rabbins.  The  verb  (CP~i) 
occurs  in  Micah  i.  13,  where  it  is 
rendered  hind,  and  means,  to  bind 
on,  to  make  fast;  and  probably  the 
plant  here  referred  to  received  its 
name  in  some  way  from  the  notion  of 
binding — perhaps  because  its  long, 
flexible,  and  slender  twigs  were  used 
for  binding,  or  for  willies.  There  i.s 
no  evidence,  however,  that  the  juni 
per  is  in  any  case  intended.  It  de- 
notes a  species  of  broom — .■^partium 
juticcum  of  Linn,  which  grows  abun- 
dantly in  the  deserts  of  Arabia.  It  is 
the  Genista  ratam  of  Forskal.  Flora 
Egypt.  Arab.  p.  214.  It  has  small 
variegated    blossoms,    and    grows  in 


96 


JOB. 


their  meat. 

5  They  were  driven  forth  from 
among  men,  (they  cried  after 
them  as  after  a  thief,) 


the  water-courses  of  the  Wadys.  Dr. 
Robinson  (Bibl.  Researches,  i.  299) 
says,  "  The;  Rctein  is  the  largest  and 
most  conspicuous  shrub  of  these  des- 
erts, growing  thickly  in  the  water- 
courses and  vallies.  Our  Arabs  al- 
ways selected  the  place  of  encamp- 
ment (if  possible)  in  a  place  where 
it  grew,  in  order  to  be  sheltered  by  it 
at  night  from  the  wind  ;  and,  during 
tlie  d.iy,  when  they  often  went  on  in 
advance  of  the  camels,  we  found 
them  not  unfrequently  sitting  or 
sleeping  under  a  busli  of  Retem,  to 
protect  them  from  the  sun.  It  was 
in  this  very  desert,  a  day's  journey 
fi'om  Beersheba,  that  the  prophet 
Elijah  lay  down  and  slept  beneath 
tlie  same  shrub.  The  roots  are  very 
bitter,  and  are  regarded  by  the  Arabs 
as  yielding  the  best  charcoal.  Tlie 
Hebrew  name  Or}"I  — Rothem,  is  the 
same  as  the  present  Arabic  name." 
Burckhardt  remarks,  that  he  found 
several  Bedawinsin  the  Wady  Genne 
collecting  brusliwood,  which  they 
burnt  into  charcoal  for  the  Egyptian 
m;irket,  and  adds  that  they  preferred 
for   this   purpose    the    thick    roots  of 

the  shrub  Retliem  ((vJ'v),  which  grew 

there  in  abundance.  Travels  in  Syria, 
p.  483.  It  could  have  been  only 
those  who  were  reduced  to  tlie  ut- 
most penury  and  want  that  could 
have  made  use  of  the  roots  of  this 
slirub  for  food,  and  this  is  doubtless 
the  idea  which  Job  means  to  convey. 
It  is  said  to  liave  been  occasionally 
used  for  food  by  the  poor.  See  Ge- 
senius.  Lex.;  Umbreit  in  loc,  and 
Schultens.  A  description  of  the 
condition  of  the  poor,  remarkably 
Bimilar  to  this,  occurs  in  Lucan. 
Lib.   vii.  : 

Cernit  mUorabile  vulgus 


In  pccu.ium  cecitiisse  ciboe,  ct  earpsre  dumos, 
Et  morsii  spolinre  neinus. 

Biddulph  (in  the  collection  of  Voyages 


6  Tc  dwell  in  the  cliffs  of  the 
valleys,  in  caves  '  of  the  earth, 
and  in  the  rocks. 


from  the  Library  of  tlie  Earl  of  Ox- 
ford, p.  807),  says  he  had  seen  many 
poor  people  in  Syria  gather  mallows 
and  clover,  and  when  he  had  asked 
them  what  they  designed  to  do  with  it, 
they  answered  that  it  was  for  food. 
Tliey  cooked  and  ate  them.  Hero- 
dotus, viii.  115,  says,  that  the  army  ot 
Xerxes,  after  their  defeat,  when  tliey 
had  consumed  all  the  corn  of  tlie  in- 
habitants in  Thessaly,  "  fed  on  the 
natural  produce  of  the  earth,  strip- 
ping wild  and  cultivated  trees  alike 
of  their  bark  and  leaves,  to  such  an 
extremity  of  famine  were  they  come." 

5.  T/ieij  were  driven  forth  from 
among  men.  As  vagabonds  and  out- 
casts. They  were  regarded  as  unfit  to 
live  among  the  civilized  and  the  order- 
ly, and  were  expelled  as  nuisances.  U 
(  They  cried  after  them  as  after  a  thief.) 
The  inhabitants  of  the  place  where 
they  lived  drove  them  out  with  a  loud 
outcry,  as  if  they  were  thieves  and 
robbers.  A  class  of  persons  are  here 
described  who  were  mere  vagrants 
and  plunderers,  and  who  were  not 
allowed  to  dwell  in  civilized  society, 
and  it  was  one  of  the  highest  aggra- 
vations of  the  calamities  of  Job,  th.it 
he  was  now  treated  with  derision  by 
such  outcasts. 

G.  To  dwell  ill  the  cliffs  of  the  val- 
leys. The  word  here  rendered  cliff's 
(iJllSJ)  denotes  rather  horror.,  or 
something  horrid,  and  the  sense  liere 
is,  that  they  dwelt  in  the  horror  if 
valleys;  that  is,  in  horrid  valleys 
Tlie  idea  is  that  of  deep  and  frigiitt'nl 
glens,  wnere  wild  beasts  ranged,  f:;r 
from  the  abodes  of  men,  and  sur- 
rounded by  frightful  wastes.  The 
word  rendered  valleys  ('n?)  means 
properly  a  brook,  stieam,  water- 
course— what  is  now  called  a  icudy ; 
a  place  where  the  winter  torrents 
run,  but  which  is  usually  dxy  in  sum- 
mer.    See  Notes  on  ch.  vi.  15.     U  In 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


97 


Among  the  bushes  they 
biayed;  under  the  nettles  they 
were  si.'ithered  together. 

8    They  were  children  of  fools, 

a  Pi.  49.  10-13.  1  men  of  no  name. 


caves  of  the  earth.  Marg.  as  in  Ileb. 
holes.  Sept.  "  Wiiose  houses  are — 
rnwyXai  TtfTooiv  —  caverns  of  the 
rocks  ;"  that  is,  vvlio  are  Tro<rlodytcs. 
Caves  furnished  a  natural  dwelling 
for  the  poor  and  tlie  outcast,  and  it  is 
well  known  that  it  was  not  uncom- 
mon in  Egypt,  and  in  the  deserts  of 
Arabia,  to  occupy  such  caves  as  a 
iiabitation  See  Diod.  Sic.  Lib.  iii. 
xiv.  and  Strnbo,  Lib.  xvi.  IT  .ind  in 
the  rocks.  The  caverns  of  the  rocks. 
Dr.  Richardson  found  a  large  number 
of  such  dwellings  in  the  vicinity  of 
Thebes,  many  of  which  were  large 
and  beautifullv  formed,  and  sculp- 
tured with  many  curious  devices. 
Mr.  Rich,  also,  saw  a  large  number 
of  such  caves  not  fir  from  Mousal. 
Residence  in  Koordistan,  vol.  ii.  p. 
94. 

7.  .Imong  the  bushes.  Coverdale, 
"  Upon  the  dry  heath  went  they 
about  crying."  The  Hebrew  word 
is  the  same  which  occurs  in  ver.  4, 
and  means  bushes  in  general.  They 
were  heard  in  tlie  slirubbery  that 
grew  in  tlie  desert.  IT  Theij  brayed 
—  'r'1?"^  •  The  Vulgate  renders  this, 
"  The\'  were  concealed."  The  LXX, 
"  Amidst  sweet  sounds  they  cry  out." 
Noyes,  "They  utter  their  cries." 
The  Hebrew  word  properly  means  to 
brai/.  It  occurs  only  here  and  in  cli. 
vi.  5,  where  it  is  applied  to  the  ass. 
The  sense  here  is,  that  the  voices  of 
this  vagrant  and  wretched  multitude 
was  heard  in  the  desert  like  the  bray- 
ing of  asees.  H  Under  the  nettles. 
Dr.  Good,  "  Under  the  briers."  Prof 
Lee,  "Beneath  the  broom-pea." 
Noyes,  "Under  the  thorns."  The 
Hebrew  word  blin — hltdrul,  occurs 
only  here  and  in  Zeeh.  ii.  9,  and 
Prov.  x.\iv.  31,  in  each  of  which 
places  it  is  rendered  nettles.  It  is 
probably  derived  from  ''5'^=:"IT!'7' 
VOL.  II.  5 


yea,   children  "  of  base   '  men  ; 
they  were  viler  than  the  earth. 
9  And  now  am  I  ''  their  song 
yea,  I  am  their  "  by-word. 

b  Pa.  69.  12.  La.  3.  14,  G3.    c  c.  17.  6 

to  burn,  to  glow,  and  is  given  to  net- 
tles from  the  burning  or  prickling 
sensation  which  they  produce.  Either 
the  word  nettles,  thistles,  or  thorns, 
would  sufficiently  answer  to  its  deriva- 
tion. It  does  not  occur  in  the  Arabic 
Castell.  Umbreit  renders  it,  unter 
Dornen — tinder  thorns.  H  They  were 
gathered  together.  Vulg  ,  "They  ac- 
counted it  a  delicacy  to  be  in  a  thorn, 
hedge."  The  word  here  used  ('^SD) 
means  to  add  ;  and  then  to  be  added 
or  assembled  together.  The  idea  is, 
that  they  were  huddled  together 
quite  promiscuously  in  the  wild- 
growing  bushes  of  the  desert.  They 
had  no  home  ;  no  separate  habitation. 
This  description  is  interesting,  not 
only  as  denoting  the  depth  to  which 
Job  had  been  reduced  when  he 
was  the  object  of  contempt  by  such 
vagrants,  but  as  illustrative  of  a  state 
of  society  existing  then. 

8.  They  were  children  of  fools. 
The  word  rendered/oo/i-  ^23  — JVdbdl, 
means,  (1,)  stupid,  foolish;  and  (2,) 
abandoned,  impious.  Comp.  1  Sam. 
XXV.  3,  25.  Here  it  means  the  worth- 
less, the  refuse  of  society,  the  aban- 
doned. They  had  no  respectable 
parentage.  Umbreit,  "  A  brood  of 
infamy."  Coverdale,  "  Children  of 
fools  and  villains."  IT  Children  of 
base  men.  Marg.  as  in  Hebrew,  mere 
of  no  name.  They  were  men  of  no 
reputation;  whose  ancestors  had  in 
no  way  been  distinguished  ;  possibly 
meaning,  also,  that  they  herded  to- 
gether as  beasts  without  even  a  name. 
U  They  were  viler  than  the  earth. 
Gesenius  renders  this,  "  They  are 
frightened  out  of  the  land."  The 
Hebrew  word  ("^^S)  means  to  chide, 
to  upbraid,  and  then  in  Niph.  to  be 
chidden  away,  or  driven  off.  The 
sense  is,  a«  an  impious  and  low-born 
race  tliey  were  driven  out  of  the  land. 

9.  ^nd  noiD  am  I  their  song.     See 


98 


JOB. 


10  They  abhor  me,  they  flee 
far  from  me,  and  '  spare  not  to 
spit  "  in  my  face. 

11  Because  he  hath  loosed 
my  cord,  and  afflicted  me,  they 

1  loHlthold  not  irpittlef-  ym.  a  Is.  50.  6. 

Mat.  aO.  67.  27.  30. 

ch.  xvii.  6.  Comp.  Ps.  Ixix.  12,  «' I 
was  the  song  of  the  drunkards." 
Lam.  iii.  14,  "I  was  a  derision  to 
all  my  people,  and  their  song  all  the 
day."  The  sense  is,  that  they  made 
Job  and  his  calamities  the  subject  of 
low  jesting,  and  treated  him  with 
contempt.  His  nanie  and  sufferings 
would  be  introduced  into  their  scur- 
rilous songs  to  give  them  pith  and 
point,  and  to  show  how  mucli  they 
despised  him  now.  f  Yea,  I  am  their 
by-word.     See  Notes  on  ch.  xvii.  6. 

10.  They  abhor  mc.  Ileb.  They 
regard  me  as  abominable.  IT  They 
fieefar  from  me.  Even  such  an  im- 
pious and  low-born  race  now  will 
have  nothing  to  do  with  me.  They 
would  consider  it  no  lienor  to  he  asso- 
ciated with  me,  but  keep  as  far  from 
me  as  possible.  Tl  And  spare  not  to 
spit  in  my  face.  Marg.  unthhold  not 
spittle  from.  Noyes  renders  this, 
*■'■  Before  my  face;"  and  so  Luther, 
Wemyss,  Umbreit,  and  Prof.  Lee. 
The  Hebrew  may  mean  either  to  spit 
in  the  face,  or  to  spit  in  the  presence 
of  any  one.  It  is  quite  immaterial 
which  interpretation  is  adopted, 
since  in  the  view  of  Orientals  the 
one  was  considered  about  the  same 
as  the  other.  In  tlteir  notions  of 
courtesy  and  urbanity,  he  cotnmits  an 
insult  of  the  same  kind  who  spits  in 
the  presence  of  another  which  he 
would  if  he  spit  on  him.  Are  they 
not  right.'  Should  it  not  be  so  con- 
sidered every  where  .'  Yet  how  dif- 
ferent their  views  from  the  more  re- 
fined notions  of  the  civilized  Occi- 
dentals !  In  America,  more  than  in 
any  other  land,  are  offences  of  this 
kind  frequent  and  gross.  Of  nothing 
do  foreigners  complain  of  us  more, 
or  with  more  justice  ;  and  much  as 
we  boast  of  our  intelligence  and  re- 


have  aJso  let  loose  the  bridle  be- 
fore me. 

12  Upon  my  right  hand  rise 
the  youth  ;  they  push  away  my 
feet,  and  they  raise  up  against 
me  the  ways  of  their  destruction. 


finement,  we  should  gain  much  if  in 
this  resj)ect  we  would  sit  down  at  the 
feet  of  a  Bedawin  Arab,  and  incor- 
porate his  views  into  our  maxims  of 
politeness. 

11.  Because  he  hath  loosed  my  cord. 
According  to  this  translation,  the  re- 
ference here  is  to  God,  and  the  sense 
is,  that  the  reason  why  he  was  thus 
derifled  and  contemned  by  such  a 
worthless  race  was,  that  God  had  un- 
loosened his  cord.  That  is,  God 
had  rendered  him  incapable  of  vin- 
dicating himself,  or  of  inflicting  pun- 
ishment. The  figure,  according  to 
this  interpretation,  is  taken  from  a 
boxci,  and  Job  means  to  say  that  his 
bow  was  relaxed,  his  vigor  was  gone, 
and  they  now  felt  that  tliey  might  in- 
sult him  with  impunity.  But  instead 
of  the  usual  reading  in  the  Hebrew 
text  '^^r''?  —  Yithri — my  nerve,  an- 
other reading  1'^^*'^ — Yithriv — his 
nerve,  is  found  in  the  keri  or  m.irgin. 
This  reading  has  been  adopted  in  the 
text  by  Jahn,  and  is  regarded  as 
genuine  by  Roscnmilller,  Umbrnif, 
and  Noyes.  According  to  this,  the 
meaning  is,  that  the  worthless  rabble 
that  now  treated  him  with  so  much 
contempt,  had  relaxed  all  restraint, 
and  they  who  had  hitherto  been  un- 
der some  curb,  now  rushed  upon  him 
in  the  most  unbridled  manner.  They 
had  cast  off  all  restraint  arising  from 
respect  to  his  rank,  standing,  moral 
worth,  and  the  dread  of  his  power, 
and  now  treated  him  with  every  kind 
of  indignity.  '^  And  afflicted  vie.  By 
the  disrespect  and  contempt  which 
they  have  evinced.  IT  They  have  also 
let  loose  the  bridle  before  me.  That 
is,  they  have  cast  otf  all  restraint 
— repeating  the  idea  in  the  first 
member  of  the  verse. 

12.  Upon  my   right  hand   rise  the 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


99 


13  They  mar  my  path,  they 
set   forward   my   calamity,   they 

youth.  The  riglit  hand  is  the  place 
of  lienor,  and  therefore  it  was  felt  to 
be  a  greater  insult  that  they  should 
occupy  even  that  place.  Tlie  word 
rendered  youth  ("H'^S)  occurs  no- 
where else  in  the  Hebrew  Scriptures- 
It  is  probably  from  H'lB  ,  to  sprout^ 
germinate,  blossom  ;  and  hence  would 
mean  a  progeny,  and  would  be  prob- 
ably applied  to  beasts.  Il  is  render- 
ed by  Jerome,  calamities ;  by  the 
LXX,  "  Upon  the  right  hand  of  the 
progeny,  or  brood  {i]).aarnv),  they 
rise,"  whore  Schieiisner  conjectures 
tiiat  [ilctoTol  should  be  read,  "  On  the 
right  hand  rise  a  brood  or  progeny." 
U  mbreit  renders  it^cine  Brut — a  brood. 
So  Rosenmiiller,  Noyes,  and  Schul- 
tens.  The  idea  then  is,  that  this  rab- 
ble rose  up,  even  on  his  right  hand, 
as  a  brood  of  wild  animals — a  mere 
rabble  that  impeded  his  way.  IT  They 
push  away  my  feet.  Instead  of  giv- 
ing place  for  me,  they  jostle  and 
crowd  me  from  my  path.  Once  the 
aged  and  the  honorable  rose  and  stood 
in  my  presence,  and  the  youth  re- 
tired at  my  coming,  but  now  this 
worthless  rabble  crowds  along  with 
me,  jostles  me  in  my  goings,  and 
shows  me  no  manner  of  respect. 
Comp.  ch.  xx\x.  8.  TT  .^nd  they  raise 
up  against  me  the  icays  of  their  destruc- 
tion. They  raise  up  against  me  de- 
structive ways,  or  ways  that  tend  to 
destroy  me.  The  figure  is  taken 
from  an  advancing  army,  that  casts  up 
ramparts  and  otlier  means  of  attack 
de-signed  for  the  destruction  of  a  be- 
sieged city.  They  were,  in  like 
manner,  constantly  making  advances 
against  Job,  and  pressing  on  him  in 
a  manner  that  was  designed  to  destroy 
him. 

13.  They  mar  my  path.  They  break 
up  all  my  plans.  Perhaps  here,  also, 
the  image  is  taken  from  war,  and  Job 
may  represent  himself  as  on  a  line 
of  march,  and  he  says  that  tliis  rab- 
ble comes  and  breaks  up  his  path 
altogethsr.      Tbey   break  down    the 


have  no  helper. 

14  They  came  upon  me  as  a 

bridges,  and  tear  up  the  way,  so  that 
it  is  impossible  to  pass  along.  His 
plans  of  life  were  embarrassed  by 
them,  and  they  were  to  him  a  perpet- 
ual annoyance.  IT  They  set  foricard 
my  calamity.  Luther  renders  this 
part  of  the  verse,  "  It  was  so  easy 
for  them  to  injure  me,  that  they 
needed  no  help."  The  literal  trans- 
lation of  the  Hebrew  here  would  be, 
"they  profit  for  my  ruin;"  that  is, 
they  bring  as  it  were  profit  to  my 
ruin  ;  they  help  it  on  ;  they  promote 
it.  A  similar  expression  occurs  in 
Zech.  i.  15,  "  I  was  but  a  little  dis- 
pleased, and  they  helped  forward  the 
affliction  ;"  that  is,  they  aided  in 
urging  it  forward.  The  idea  here  is, 
thaJ  they  hastened  his  fall.  Instead 
of  assisting  him  in  any  way,  they 
contributed  all  tliey  could  to  bring 
him  down  to  the  dust.  IT  They  have 
no  helper.  Very  various  interpreta- 
tions have  been  given  of  this  phrase. 
It  may  mean,  that  they  had  done  this 
alone,  without  the  aid  of  others  ;  or 
that  they  were  persons  who  were  held 
in  abhorrence,  and  whom  no  one 
would  assist;  or  that  they  were  worth- 
less and  abandoned  persons.  Schultens 
has  shown  that  the  phrase,  one  icho 
has  no  helper.,  is  proverbial  among  the 
Arabs,  and  denotes  a  worthless  per- 
son, or  one  of  the  lowest  class.  In 
proof  of  this,  he  quotes  the  Ilamasa, 
which  he  thus  translates,  Videmus 
vos  ignobiles,  pauperes,  quibus  nullus 
ex  reliquis  hominibus  adjutor.  See, 
also,  other  similar  expressions  quoted 
by  him  from  Arabic  writings.  The 
idea  here  then  is,  probably,  that  they 
were  so  worthless  and  abandoned 
that  no  one  would  help  them — an 
expression  denoting  the  utmost  de- 
gradation. 

14.  They  came  upon  me  as  a  wide, 
hrcaking-in  of  waters.  The  Hebrew 
here  is  simply,  "  Like  a  wide  breach 
they  came,"  and  the  reference  may 
be,  not  to  an  inundation,  as  our  trans- 
lators supposed,  but  to  an  irruption 
made  by  a  foe  through  a  breach  made 


100 


JOB. 


wide  breaking-in  of  inciters  :  in 
the  desolation  they  rolled  them- 
selves upon  inc. 

15  Terrors   are  turned   upon 
me :  they    pursue   my    '  soul    as 

1  principal  one.  a  Ps .  42.  4. 

in  a  wall.  When  such  a  wall  fell, 
or  when  a  breach  was  made  in  it,  the 
besTeging  army  would  pour  in  in  a 
tumultuous  manner,  and  cut  down  all 
before  them.  Comp.  Isa.  xxx.  13. 
This  seems  to  be  the  idea  here.  The 
enemies  of  Job  poured  in  upon  him 
as  if  a  breach  was  made  in  a  wall. 
Formerly  they  were  restrained  by 
his  rank  and  office,  as  a  besieging 
army  was  by  lofty  walls  ;  but  now 
all  these  restraints  were  brolcen  down, 
and  they  poured  in  upon  him  like  a 
tumultuous  army.  TI  hi  the  desola- 
tion they  rolled  themselves  upon  me. 
Among  the  ruins  they  rolled  tumul- 
tuous along  ;  or  they  came  jiitching 
and  tiimbling  in  with  the  ruins  of 
the  wall.  The  image  is  taken  from 
the  act  of  sacking  a  city,  where  the 
besieging  army,  having  made  a  breach 
in  the  wall,  would  seem  to  come 
tumbling  into  the  heart  of  the  city 
with  the  ruins  of  the  wall.  No  time 
wouH  be  wasted,  but  they  would  fol- 
low suddenly  and  tumultuously  upon 
the  breach,  and  roll  tumultuously 
along.  The  Chaldee  renders  this  as 
if  it  referred  to  the  rolling. and  tu- 
multuous waves  of  the  sea,  and  the 
Hebrew  would  admit  of  such  a  con- 
struction, but  the  above  seems  better 
to  accord  with  the  image  which  Job 
would  be  likely  to  use. 

15.  Terrors  arc  turned  v/pon  vie. 
As  if  they  were  all  turned  upon  him, 
or  made  to  converge  towards  him. 
Every  thing  fitted  to  produce  terror 
seemed  to  have  a  direction  given  it 
towards  him.  Umbreit,  and  some 
others,  however,  suppose  that  God  is 
here  referred  to,  and  that  the  mean- 
ing is,  '  God  is  turned  against  me  ; 
terrors  drive  as  a  storm  against  me.' 
The  Hebrew  will  bear  either  con- 
struction ;  but  it  is  more  emphatic 
and  impressive  to  suppose  it  means 


the  wind  ;   and  my  welfare  pass- 
eth  away  as  a  cloud. 

1()  And  now  my  soul  is  pour- 
ed out  upon  ^  me  :  the  days  of 
affliction  have  taken  hold  upon 
me. 


that  every  thing  adapted  to  produce 
terror  seemed  to  be  turned  against 
him.  TI  They  pursue  my  soul  as  the 
wind.  Mdrg.  my  principal  one.  The 
word  "  they  "  here,  refers  to  the 
terrors.  In  the  original  the  word 
r|Tir]  agrees  with  mnsS  ^  terrors 
understood,  for  this  word  is  often 
used  as  a  collective  noun,  and  witli  a 
singular  verb,  or  it  may  agree  with 
rfiN  ?b  — "  each  one  of  the  terrors 
persecutes  me."  There  is  more  diffi- 
culty about  the  word  rendered  50?iZ  in 
the    text,    and  pri7icipal  one    in  the 

margin — '^T^'??  •  ^'  properly  means 
loilliiigncss,  voluntariness.,  sponta- 
neity;  then  a  free-will  offering,  a 
voluntary  sacrifice  ;  then  largeness, 
abundance.  RosenniQller  renders  it, 
"  My  vigor."  Noycs,  "  My  prosper 
ity,"  and  so  Coverdale.  Jerome, 
""My  desire,"  and  the  LXX,  "My 
hope  passes  away  as  the  wind.'' 
Schultens  translates  it,  "  They  per- 
secute my  generous  spirit  as  the 
wind."  It  seems  probable  that  tire 
word  refers  to  a  generous,  noble 
nature  ;  to  a  large  and  liberal  soul, 
evincing  its  magnanimity  in  acts  of 
generosity  and  hospitality  ;  and  the 
idea  seems  to  bo,  that  his  enemies 
rushed  against  that  generous  nature 
like  a  tempest.  They  wholly  disre- 
garded it,  and  a  nature  most  generous 
and  noble  was  exposed  to  the  fury  ol 
the  storm.  IT  Jlnd  my  icelfarc.  Ileb. 
my  salvation  ;  or  my  safety.  IT  ^s  a 
cloud.  As  a  cloud  vanishes  and 
wholly  disappears. 

16.  J]nd  now  my  soul  is  poured  out 
upon  me.  So  in  Ps.  xlii.  4,  "I  pour 
out  my  soul  in  me."  We  say  tliat 
one  is  dissolved  in  grief.  The  lan- 
guage is  derived  from  the  fact  that 
the  soul  in  grief  seems  to  lose  all 
firmness  or  consistence.     The  Arabs 


CIIArTEll  XXX 


101 


17  My  bones  are  pierced  in 
iiie  in  ihe  night-seuson  ;   and  iny 

style  a  fearful  person,  one  who  has  a  , 
watery  heart,  or  whose  heart  melts  \ 
awaij  like  water.  JVoyes. 

17.  My  bones  are  pierced  in  me. 
The  bones  arc  often  represented  in 
the  Scriptures  as  the  seat  of  acute 
pain.  Ps.  vi.  2,  xxii.  14,  .\.\.xi.  10, 
.xxxviii.  3,  xlii.  10.  Prov.  xiv.  30. 
Comp.  Job  XX.  11.  The  meaning 
liere  is,  that  he  had  iiad  shooting 
or  piercing  pains  in  the  night,  wliich 
disturbed  and  prevented  liis  rest.  It 
is  mentioned  as  a  peculiar  aggrava- 
tion of  his  sufferings  that  they  were  in 
the  nigitt — a  time  wlien  we  expect 
repose.  If  And  my  sineics  take  no 
rest.  See  the  word  here  rendered 
."incics  explained  in  the  Note  on  vcr. 
3.  The  word  literally  means  gnaic- 
crs,  and  hence  the  teeth.  Tlie  Vul- 
trato  renders  it,  qui  me  romcdunt,  non 
durmiunt,  "  they  who  devour  me  do 
not  slumber."  Tlie  LXX,rfvud  /(ov 
—  'my  sineirs,  or  arteries.  Schcusner. 
Lutlicr,  "  They  who  gnaw  me." 
Coverdale,  Sinews.  I  see  no  reason 
to  doubt  that  the  teeth  or  the  jaws 
are  meant,  and  that  Job  refers  to  the 
vi(jlent  pain  in  the  tooth,  among  the 
acutest  pains  to  which  tlie  body  is 
subject.  The  idea  is,  that  every  part 
of  the  body  was  diseased  and  filled 
with  pain. 

18.  By  the  great  force  of  my  disease. 
The  words  "  of  my  disease  "  are 
not  in  the  Hebrew  The  usual  in- 
terpretation of  the  passage  is,  that  in 
consequence  of  the  foul  and  oft'en- 
sive  nature  of  his  malady,  his  gar- 
ment had  become  discolored  or  de- 
filed— changed  from  being  white  and 
clear  to  filthiness  and  oflensiveness. 
Some  have  understood  it  as  referring 
to  the  skin,  and  as  denoting  that  it 
was  so  affected  with  the  leprosy', 
that  he  could  scarcely  be  recog- 
nized. Utnbreit  supposes  it  to  mean, 
"  Through  the  omnij)otence  of  God 
has  my  white  robe  of  honor  been 
changed  into  a  narrow  garment  of 
grief" — trauerkleid.     Dr.  Good  ren- 


sinews  take  no  rest. 

18  By  the  great  force  of  mij 

dors  it,  "  From  tlie  abundaniM;  of  the 
acrimony  ;"  that  is,  of  the  fierce  or 
acrimonious  humor,  "  it  is  changed 
into  a  garment  for  me."  Coverdale, 
"  With  all  their  power  have  they 
changed  my  garment,  and  girded  mo 
therewith,  as  it  were  with  a  coat." 
Prof.  Lee,  "  With  much  violence 
doth  my  clothing  bind  me."  Accord- 
ing to  Schultcns,  it  means,  "  My 
affliction  puts  itself  on  in  the  form  of 
my  clothing;"  and  the  whole  pas- 
sage, that  without  and  within,  from 
the  head  to  the  feet,  lie  was  entirely 
diseased.  His  afliiction  was  his  outer 
garment,  and  it  was  his  inner  gar- 
ment— his  mantle  and  his  tunic.  The 
Hebrew  is  difficult.  The  phrase  ren- 
dered "  by  the  great  force,  '  means, 
literally,  "  by  the  multitude  of 
strength  " — and  may  refer  to  the 
strength  of  disease,  or  to  the  strength 
of  God,  or  to  the  force  with  which 
his  garment  girded  him.  The  word 
rendered  "is  changed" — ^'^r]-^?  , 
is  from  ^"SI^  ,  to  seek,  to  search  after, 
in  Kal ;  in  Hithpa.  the  form  uted 
here,  to  let  one's  self  be  sought ;  to 
hide  one's  self;  to  disguise  one's 
self.  1  Kings  xx.  38.  According  to 
this,  it  would  mean  that  his  garment 
was  disguised ;  that  is,  its  appear- 
ance was  changed  by  the  force  of  his 
disease.  Gesenius.  Jerome  renders 
it,  "  In  their  multitude,  my  garment 
is  consumed  ;  theLXX,  "  With  great 
force  he  took  hold  of- my  garment." 
Of  these  various  interpretations,  it  is 
impossible  to  determine  wliicli  is  the 
correct  one.  The  prevailing  inter- 
pretation se«ms  to  be,  that  by  the 
strength  of  his  disease  his  garment 
was  chang-ed  in  its  appearance,  so  as 
to  become  offensive,  and  yet  this  is  a 
somewhat  feeble  sense  to  give  to  the 
passage.  Perhaps  the  explanation  of 
Scliultens  is  the  best,  "  By  the  great- 
ness of  power,  pain  or  disease  has 
become  my  garment  ;  it  girds  me 
about  like  the  mouth  of  my  tunic." 
He  has  shown,  by  a  great  variety  of 


102 


JOB. 


disease  is  my  garment  changed  : 
it  bindeth  me  about  as  the  collar 
of  my  coat. 

19  He  hath  cast ''  me  into  the 
mire,  and  1  am  become  like  dust 
and  ashes. 

a  c  9.  31.  1  turned  to  be 


instances,  that  it  is  common  in  Arabic 
poetry  to  compare  pain,  sickness, 
an.'iiety,  &c.,  to  clotiiing.  IT  It  bind- 
eth mc  about  as  the  collar  of  my  coat. 
Tlie  collar  of  my  tunic,  or  undergar- 
ment. This  was  made  like  a  shirt, 
to  be  gathered  around  the  neck,  and 
tiie  idea  is,  that  iiis  disease  fitted 
close  to  him,  and  was  gathered  close 
around  him. 

19.  He  hath  cast  me  into  the  viire. 
That  is,  God  has  done  it.  In  this 
book  the  name  of  God  is  often  under- 
stood where  the  speaker  seems  to 
avoid  it,  in  order  that  it  may  not  be 
needlessly  repeated.  On  the  mean- 
ing of  the  e.xpression  here,  see  Notes 
on  ch.  ix.  31.  IT  .4nd  I  am  become 
like  dust  and  ashes.  Either  in  appear- 
ance, or  I  am  regarded  as  being  as 
worthless  as  the  mire  of  the  streets. 
Rosenmilller  supposes  it  means,  "  I 
am  more  like  a  mass  of  inanimate 
matter  than  a  living  man." 

20.  /  cry  unto  thee,  and  thou  dost 
not  hear  me.  This  was  a  complaint 
which  Job  often  made,  that  he  could 
not  get  the  ear  of  God  ;  that  his  pray- 
er was  not  regarded,  and  that  he 
could  not  get  his  cause  before  him. 
Comp.  ch.  xiii.  3,  19,  seq.,  and  ch. 
xxvii.  9.  IT  /  stand  up.  Standing 
was  a  common  posture  of  prayer 
among  the  ancients.  See  Heb.  xi. 
21.  1  Kings  viii.  14,  55.  Neh.  ix.  2. 
The  meaning  is,  that  when  Job  stood 
up  to  pray,  God  did  not  regard  his 
prayer. 

21.  Thou  art  become  cruel  to  me. 
Jlarg.  turned  to  be.  This  language, 
applied  to  God,  seems  to  be  hrrsh  and 
irreverent,  and  it  may  well  be  in- 
quired whether  the  word  cruel  does 
not  express  an  idea  which  Job  did 
not  intend.  The  Hebrew  word  "IJ^X  , 


20  I  cry  unto  thee,  and  thou 
dost  not  hear  me  ;  I  stand  up, 
and  thou  regardest  me  not. 

21  Thou  art  '  become  cruel  to 
me  :  with  thy  ■•'  strong  hand  thou 
opposest  thyself  against  me. 

2  the  strength  oftliy  hand. 

is    from    an    obselete    root  ^^3 — not 

found  in  Hebrew.     The  Arabic  root 

...  i^-^  — nearly    the    same  as    this, 

means  to  break  with  violence  ;  to 
rout  as  an  enemy  ;  then  to  be  en- 
raged. In  the  Syriac,  the  primary  idea 
is,  that  of  a  soldier,  and  thence  it 
may  refer  to  such  acts  of  violence  as 
a  soldier  commonly  commits.  The 
word  occurs  in  Hebrew  in  tiie  follow- 
ing places,  and  is  translated  in  the 
following  manner.  It  is  rendered 
cruel  in  Deut.  xxxii.  33,  Jobxxx.  21, 
Prov.  V.  9,  xi.  17.  xii.  10,  xvii.  11, 
xxvii.  4,  Isa.  xiii.  9,  Jer.  vi.  23,  1.  42, 
XXX.  14;  and  fierce  in  Job  xli.  10. 
Jerome  renders  it,  mutatus  mihi  in 
crudclem — "  thou  art  changed  so  as 
to  become  cruel  to  me  ;"  the  LXX 
render  it,  di's).( tjftoi'ojc; — unmerciful; 
Luther,  Du  hist  mir  verwandelt 
in  einem  Grausamen — "thou  art 
changed  to  me  into  a  cruel  one ;"' 
and  so  Umbreit,  Noyes,  and  transla- 
tors generally.  Perhaps  the  word 
fierce,  severe,  or  harsh,  would  express 
the  idea;  still  it  must  be  admitted 
that  Job,  in  the  severity  of  his  sutier- 
ings,  is  often  betrayed  into  language 
which  cannot  be  a  model  for  us,  a;id 
which  we  cannot  vindicate.  IT  With 
thy  strong  hand,  fllarg.  tlie  strength. 
So  the  Hebrew.  The  hand  is  the  in- 
strument by  which  we  accomplish 
any  thing ;  and  hence  any  thing 
which  God  does  is  traced  to  his 
hand.  TT  Tliou  opposest  thyself  against 
7«e— "^Sia-Jbn  .  The  word  tqi^  _ 
Sdtam,  means  to  lie  in  wait  for  any 
one;  to  lay  snares;  to  set  a  trap. 
See  cli.  xvi.  9,  where  the  same  word 
occurs,  and  where  it  is  rendered 
"  who  hateth  me,"  but  where  ii 
would  be  better  rendered  he  pursues. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


103 


22  Thou  liflest  me  up  to  the 
wind  ;  thou  causest  me  to  ride 


or  pcrsfcutes  me.  The  meaning  is, 
that  God  had  become  his  adversary, 
or  had  set  himself  against  him. 
Tliere  was  a  severity  in  his  dealings 
with  iiim  as  if  he  had  become  a  foe. 
22.  Thou  liftest  me  %ip  to  the  wind. 
Tlie  sense  here  is,  that  lie  was  lifted 
up  as  stubble  is  by  a  tempest,  and 
driven  mercilessly  along.  The  figure 
of  riding  upon  the  winder  the  wfiiri- 
wind,  is  common  in  Oriental  writers, 
and  indeed  elsewhere.  So  Milton 
says, 

"  They  ride  the  air  in  whirlwind." 

So  Addison,  speaking  of  the  angel 
that  executes  the  commands  of  tlie 
Almighty,  says, 

"  Rides    ill   the   whirlwind,   and  directs   the 
storm." 

Coverdale  renders  this  verse,  "  In 
times  past  thou  didst  set  me  up  on 
high,  as  it  were  above  the  wind,  but 
now  hast  thou  given  me  a  very  sore 
fail."  Rosenmilller  thinks  that  the 
image  here  is  not  taken  from  straw 
or  chaff  that  is  driven  by  the  wind, 
but  that  the  meaning  of  Job  is,  that 
he  is  lifted  up  and  borne  aloft  like  a 
-iloud.  But  the  image  of  chaff  or 
straw  taken  up  by  the  whirlwind  and 
driven  about,  seems  best  to  accord 
with  the  scope  of  the  passage.  The 
idea  is,  that  tlie  tempest  of  calamity 
had  swept  every  thing  away,  and  had 
driven  him  about  as  a  worthless  ob- 
ject, until  he  was  wasted  away  and 
mined.  It  is  possible  that  Job  refers 
in  this  passage  to  the  sand-storm 
which  occurs  sometimes  in  the  de- 
serts of  Arabia.  The  following  de- 
scription of  such  a  storm  by  Mr. 
Bruce  (vol.  iv.  pp.  553,  554),  will 
furnish  an  illustration  of  the  force 
and  sublimity  of  the  passage.  It  is 
copied  from  Taylor's  Fragments,  in 
C-tlmst's  Dictionary,  vol.  iii.  235  : 
"  On  the  fourteenth,"  says  Bruce, 
"  at  seven  in  the  morning,  we  left 
Assa  Nagga,    our    course  being  due 


upon  it,  and  dissolvest  my  '  sub- 
stance. 

1  or,  wisdom. 

north.  At  one  o'clock  we  alighted 
among  some  acacia  trees  at  Waadi 
el  Halboub,  having  gone  twenty-one 
miles.  We  were  here  at  once  surprised 
and  terrified  by  a  sight,  surely  one  of 
the  most  magnificent  in  the  world.  In 
tiiat  vast  e-xpanse  of  desert  from  west 
and  to  north-west  of  us,  we  saw  a 
number  of  prodigious  pi/Zars  of  sand 
at  different  distances,  at  times  moving 
with  great  celerity,  at  others  stalking 
on  with  a  majestic  slowness  ;  at  in- 
tervals we  thought  they  were  coming 
in  a  very  few  minutes  to  overwhelm 
us,  and  small  quantities  of  sand  did 
actually  more  than  once  reach  us. 
Again  they  would  retreat  so  as  to  be 
almost  out  of  sight — their  tops  reach- 
ing to  the  very  clouds.  There  the  tops 
often  separated  from  the  bodies  ;  and 
these,  once  disjoined,  dispersed  in  the 
air,  and  did  not  appear  more.  Some- 
times they  were  broken  near  the  mid- 
dle, as  if  struck  with  a  large  cannon 
shot.  About  noon  they  began  to  ad- 
vance with  considerable  swiftness 
upon  us,  the  wind  being  very  strong 
at  north.  Eleven  of  them  ranged 
alongside  of  us  about  the  distance  of 
three  miles.  The  greatest  diameter 
of  the  largest  appeared  to  me  at  that 
distance  as  if  it  would  measure  two 
feet.  They  retired  from  us  with  a 
wind  at  south-east,  leaving  an  im- 
pression upon  my  mind  to  which  I 
can  give  no  name,  though  surely  one 
ingredient  in  it  was  fear,  with  a  con- 
siderable deal  of  wonder  and  aston- 
ishment. It  was  in  vain  to  think  of 
flying;  the  swiftest  horse,  or  fastest 
sailing  ship,  could  be  of  no  use  to 
carry  us  out  of  thia  danger,  and  the 
full  persuasion  of  this  riveted  me  as 
if  to  the  spot  where  I  stood,  and  let 
the  camels  gain  on  me  so  much  in  my 
state  of  lameness,  that  it  was  with 
some  difficulty  I  could  overtake 
them. 

"Thewh*le  of  our  company  were 
much  disheartened,  except  Idris,  and 


104 


JOB. 


23  For  I  know  that  thou  wilt 


imagined  that  they  were  advancin"' 
into  whirlwinds  of  moving  sand, 
from  which  they  should  never  be 
able  to  extricate  themselves  ;  but 
before  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
these  phantoms  of  the  plain  had  all 
of  them  fallen  to  the  ground  and  dis- 
appeared. In  the  evening  we  came 
to  Waadi  Diniokea,  where  we  passed 
the  night,  much  disheartened,  and 
our  fear  more  increased,  when  we 
found,  upon  wakening  in  the  morn- 
ing, that  one  side  was  perfectly 
buried  in  the  sand  that  the  wind  had 
blown  above  us  in  the  night. 

"  The  sun  shining  through  the  pil- 
lars, which  were  tliicker,  and  con- 
tained more  sand,  apparently,  than 
any  of  the  preceding  days,  seemed  to 
give  those  nearest  us  an  appearance 
as  if  spotted  with  stars  of  gold.  1  do 
not  think  at  any  time  they  seemed  to 
be  nearer  than  two  miles.  The  most 
remarkable  circumstance  was,  that 
the  sand  seemed  to  keep  in  that  vast 
circular  space,  surrounded  by  the 
Nile  on  our  left,  in  going  round  by 
Chaigie  toward  Dougola,  and  seldom 
was  observed  much  to  the  eastward 
of  a  meridian,  passing  along  the  Nile 
through  the  Magizan,  before  it  takes 
that  turn  ;  whereas  the  simoom  was 
always  on  the  opposite  side  of  our 
course,  coming  upon  us  from  the 
south-east. 

"  The  same  appearance  of  moving 
pillars  of  sand  presented  themselves 
to  us  this  day  in  form  and  disposition 
like  those  we  had  seen  at  Waadi 
Halboub,  only  they  seemed  to  be 
more  in  number,  and  less  in  size. 
They  came  several  times  in  a  direc- 
tion close  upon  us,  that  is,  I  believe, 
within  less  than  two  miles.  They 
began,  immediately  after  sunrise,  like 
a  thick  wood,  and  almost  darkened 
the  sun  ;  his  rays  shining  through 
them  for  near  an  hour,  gave  them  an 
appearance  of  pillars  of  fire." 

"  If  my  conjecture,"  says  Taylor, 
"be  admissible,  we  now  eee  a  mag- 
nificence in  this  imagery,  not  appa- 


bring  me  to  death,   and   to  the 
house  appointed  "  for  all  living. 

rent  before  :  we  see  how  Job's  dig- 
nity might  be  exalted  in  the  air; 
miglit  rise  to  great  grandeur,  import- 
ance, and  even  terror,  in  the  sight  of 
beholders  ;  might  ride  upon  the  wind, 
which  bears  it  about,  causing  it  to 
advance,  or  to  recede  ;  and,  after  all, 
when  the  wind  diminishes,  might 
disperse,  dissipate,  melt  tliis  pillar  of 
sand  into  the  undistinguished  level 
of  the  desert.  This  comparison  seems 
to  be  precisely  adapted  to  the  mind  of 
an  Arab  ;  who  must  have  seen,  or  have 
been  informed  of,  similar  phenomena 
in  the  countries  around  hmi."'  Ti  Jlnd 
dissoltest  my  substance.  Marg.  or 
wisdom.  The  word  rendered  "  rf /s- 
solvest,"  means  to  melt,  to  flow  down, 
and  then  to  cause  to  melt,  to  cause  to 
pine  away  and  perish.  Isa.  Ixiv.  6. 
It  is  applied  to  a  host  or  army  that 
appears  to  njelt  away.  1  Sam.  xiv.  16. 
It  is  also  applied  to  one  who  seems  to 
melt  away  with  fear  and  terror.  Ex. 
XV.  15.  Josh.  ii.  9,  24.  Here  tho 
meaning  probably  is,  that  God  caused 
Job  to  melt  away,  as  it  were,  with 
terrors  and  alarms.  He  was  like  one 
caught  up  in  a  whirlwind,  and  driven 
along  with  the  storm,  and  who,  in 
such  circumstances,  would  be  dis- 
solved with  fear.  The  word  ren- 
dered substance  (n^iJri)  has  been 
very  variously  interpreted.  The 
word,  as  it  is  written  in  the  test, 
means  help,  deliverance,  purpose, 
enterprise,  counsel,  or  understand- 
ing. See  ch.  v.  12,  vi.  13,  xi.  6.  But 
by  some,  and  among  others  Gesenius, 
Umbreit,  and  Noyes,  it  is  supposed 
that  it  should  be  read  as  a  verb, 
nVvUFl  from  i^''^ — to  fear.  Accord- 
ing to  this,  the  meaning  is,  '  thou 
terrifiest  me.'  This  agrees  better 
with  the  connection  ;  is  more  abrupt 
and  emphatic,  and  is  probably  the 
true  interpretation. 

23.  For  I  know  that  tJiou  icilt  bring 
me  to  death.  This  is  the  language  of 
despair.  Occasionally  Job  seems  to 
have  had  an  assurance  that  his  cala 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


105 


24  Howbeit  he  will  not  stretch 

1  heap, 

mities  would  pass  by,  and  that  God 
would  show  liimself  to  be  his  friend 
on  earth  (conip.  Notes  on  eh.  xix.  2-j, 
seq.),  and  at  other  times  he  utters  the 
hmguage  of  despair.  Such  would  be 
commonly  the  case  with  a  good  man 
afflicted  as  he  was,  and  agitated  with 
akernate  hopes  and  fears.  We  are 
not  to  set  tliese  expressions  down  as 
contradictions.  All  that  inspiration 
is  responsible  for,  is  the  fair  record  of 
Ills  feelings  ;  and  that  he  should  have 
alternate  hopes  and  fears  is  in  entire 
accordance  with  what  occurs  vvhen 
we  are  afflicted.  Weve.  the  view  of 
his  sorrows  appears  to  have  been  so 
overwhelming,  tliat  he  says  he  knc^o 
they  must  terminate  in  death.  The 
phrase  '  to  death  '  means  to  the  house 
of  the  dead,  or  to  the  place  where  the 
dead  are.  Umbreit.  IT  ,,9nd  to  the 
house  appointed  for  all  living  The 
grave.  Comp.  Heb.  ix.  27.  That 
house  or  home  is  '  appointed  '  for  all. 
It  is  not  a  matter  of  chance  that  we 
come  there,  but  it  is  because  the 
Great  Arbiter  of  life  has  so  ordained. 
What  an  affecting  consideration  it 
should  be,  that  such  a  house  is  desig- 
nated for  all  !  A  house  so  dark,  so 
gloomy,  so  solitary,  so  repulsive  ! 
For  all  that  sit  on  thrones;  for  all 
that  move  in  the  halls  of  music  and 
pleasure  ;  for  all  that  roll  along  in 
splendid  carriages  ;  for  all  the  beau- 
tiful, tiie  gay,  the  vigorous,  the  man- 
ly ;  for  all  in  the  marts  of  business, 
in  the  low  scenes  of  dissipation,  and 
in  the  sanctuary  of  God  ;  for  every 
one  who  is  young,  and  every  one 
who  is  aged,  this  is  the  home  !  Here 
they  come  at  last ;  and  here  they  lie 
down  in  the  narrow  bed  !  God's 
hand  will  bring  them  all  there  ;  and 
there  will  they  lie  till  his  voice  sum- 
mons them  to  judgment  I 

24.  Howbeit  he  loill  not  stretch  out 
his  hayid  to  the  grave.  Marg.  heap. 
In  our  common  version  this  verse 
conveys  no  very  clear  idea,  and  it  is 
quite  evident  that  our  translators 
despaired  of  giving  it   a  consistent 


out  his  hand  to  the  'grave,  though 
they  cry  in  his  destruction. 


sense,  and  attempti;d  merely  to  trans- 
late it  literally.  The  verse  has  been 
rendered  by  every  expositor  almost  in 
his  own  way  ;  and  though  almost  no 
two  of  them  agree,  yet  it  is  remark- 
able that  the  versions  given  are  all 
beautiful,  and  furnish  a  sense  that 
agrees  well  with  the  scope  of  the 
passage.  The  Vulgate  renders  it, 
"  But  not  to  their  consumption  wilt 
thou  send  forth  their  hand  ;  and  if 
they  fill,  thou  wilt  save  them."  The 
Sept.,  "For  O  that  I  could  lay  vio- 
lent hands  on  myself,  or  beseech 
another,  and  he  would  do  it  for  me." 
Luther  renders  it,  "  Yet  he  shall  not 
stretch  out  the  hand  to  the  charnel- 
house,  and  they  shall  not  cry  before 
his  destruction."     JVoyes  : 

"When  he  stretcheth  out  his  hand,  prayer 
availeth  nothing ; 
When  he  bringeth  destruction,  vain  is  the 
cry  for  lielp." 

Umbreit  renders  it : 

Nur  miig'  er  nicht  an  den  zerstOrten  Haufon 

Hand  anlegen  ! 
Oder    mussen    jene    aelbst   in    ihrera    Tode 

schreien  ? 

"  Only  if  he  would  not  lay  his  hand  upon  the 

heaps  of  the  destroyed  ! 
Or  must  these  also  cry  out  in  their  death ."' 

According  to  this  interpretation,  Job 
speaks  here  in  bitter  irony.  '  I  would 
gladl}^  die,'  says  he,  'if  God  would 
only  suffer  me  to  be  quiet  when  1 
am  dead.'  He  would  be  willing  that 
the  edifice  of  the  body  sliould  be 
taken  down,  provided  the  ruins  might 
rest  in  peace.  Rosenmdller  gives 
the  same  sense  as  that  expressed  by 
Noyes.  Amidst  this  variety  of  inter- 
pretation, it  is  by  no  means  easy  to 
determine  on  the  true  meaning  of 
the  passage.  The  principal  difficulty 
in  the  exposition  lies  in  the  word 
"^i'S,  rendered  in  the  text  '  in  the 
grave,'  and  in  the  margin  'heap.'  If 
that  word  is  compounded  of  the  pre- 
position 3  and  "*",,  it  means  literally, 
'in  ruins,  or  in  rubbish' — for  so  the 
word   "^5^   is  used    in    Mic.  i.  6.   Jer 


106 


JOB. 


25  Did  not  I  weep  for  him 
that  was  '  in  trouble  ?  was  not 
my  soul  grieved  for  the  poor  ? 


xxvi.  18.  Mic.  iii.  12.  Ps.  Ixxix.  1. 
Num.  xxxiii.  45.  But  Gesenius  sup- 
poses it  to  be  a  single  word,  from  tiie 
obsolete  root  J^Sa,  Chaldee  i^i':;,  to 
pray,  to  petition;  and  according  to 
lliis  the  meaning  is,  '  Yea,  prayer  is 
nought  wlien  he  stretches  out  his 
hand  ;  and  in  his  [God's]  destruc- 
tion, their  cry  availeth  not."  Prof. 
Lee  understands  the  word  ("^253)  in 
tlie  same  sense,  but  gives  a  some- 
what different  meaning  to  the  whole 
passage.  According  to  him  the 
meaning  is,  '  Nevertheless,  upon 
prayer  thou  wilt  not  lay  thine  hand  ; 
surely,  when  he  destroyeth,  in  this 
alone  there  is  safety.'  Schultens  ac- 
cords very  nearly  in  the  sentiment 
expressed  by  Umbroit,  and  renders 
it,  "  Yet  not  even  in  the  tomb  would 
he  relax  his  hand,  if  in  its  destruc- 
tion an  alleviation  were  there." 
This  sentiment  is  very  strong,  and 
borders  on  impiety,  and  should  not 
be  adopted  if  it  is  possible  to  avoid 
it.  It  looks  as  if  Job  felt  that  God 
was  disposed  to  pursue  his  animosity 
even  into  the  regions  of  the  dead,  and 
that  he  would  have  pleasure  in  car- 
rying on  the  work  of  destruction  and 
affliction  in  the  ruins  of  the  grave. 
After  the  most  careful  examination 
which  I  have  been  able  to  give  of 
this  dilEcult  passage,  it  seems  proba- 
ble to  me  that  the  following  is  the 
correct  sense.  Job  means  to  state  a 
general  and  important  principle — that 
there  was  rest  in  the  grave.  lie  said 
lie  knew  that  God  would  bring  him 
down  there,  but  that  would  be  a  state 
of  repose.  The  hand  of  God  produ- 
cing pain,  would  not  reach  there,  nor 
would  the  sorrows  experienced  in 
this  world  be  felt  there,  provided 
there  had  been  a  praying  life.  Not- 
withstanding all  his  afflictions,  there- 
fore, and  his  certain  conviction  that 
he  would  die,  he  had  unwavering 
confidence  in  God.  Agreeably  to 
'.his,   the   following   paraphrase   will 


26  When  ''  I  looked  for  good, 
then   evil    came    unto   me ;  and 


1  hard  of  day. 


a  Je.  8.  15. 


convey  the  true  sense.  'I  know 
that  he  will  bring  me  to  the  grave. 
Kevtrtheless  ("J?),  over  the  ruins 
(''<3) — of  my  body,  the  ruins  in  the 
grave — he  will  not  stretch  out  his 
hand — to  afflict  me  there  or  to  pursue 
those  who  lie  there  with  calamity 
and  judgment;  if  in  his  destrurtion 
(IT'Sa) — in  the  destruction  or  desola- 
tion which  God  brings  upon  men — 
among  them  ('"1^) — among  those  who 
are  thus  coii.^igned  to  the  ruins  of  the 
grave — there  is  prayer  (?*lttJ)  ;  if  there 
has  been  sup])lication  offered  to  him, 
or  a  crij  for  mercy  has  gone  up  before 
him.'  This  paraphrase  embraces 
every  word  of  the  original  ;  saves 
the  necessity  of  attempting  to  change 
the  text,  as  has  been  often  done,  and 
gives  a  meaning  which  accords  with 
the  scope  of  the  passage,  and  with 
the  uniform  belief  of  Job,  that  God 
would  ultimately  vindicate  him,  and 
show  that  he  himself  was  right  in  his 
government. 

25.  Did  not  I  weep,  &c.  Job  here  ap- 
peals to  his  former  life,  and  says  that 
it  had  been  a  characteristic  of  his  life 
to  manifest  compassion  to  the  afflict- 
ed and  the  poor.  His  object  in  doing 
this  is,  evidently,  to  show  how  re- 
markable it  was  that  he  was  so  much 
afflicted.  'Did  I  deserve,'  the  sense 
is,  '  such  a  hard  lot  ?  Has  it  been 
brought  on  me  by  my  own  fault,  or 
as  a  punishment  for  a  life  where  no 
compassion  was  shown  to  others  .'" 
So  far  from  it,  iic  -says,  that  his 
v.'hole  life  had  been  distinguished  for 
tender  compa.ssion  for  those  in  dis- 
tress and  want.  V  In  trouble.  Marg. 
as  in  Hebrew,  hard  of  day.  So  wo 
say,  "  a  man  has  a  hard  time  of  it," 
or  has  a  hard  lot. 

26.  If'hen  I  looked  for  good.  When 
I  sujjposed  that  respect  would  be 
shown  me  ;  or  when  I  looked  for- 
ward to  an  lionored  old  age.  I  ex- 
pected  to  be   made  happy  and  pros- 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


107 


when  I  waited  for  light,  there 
came  darkness, 

27  My  bowels  boiled,  and 
rested  not ;  the  days  of  affliction 

perous  through  life,  as  the  result  of 
m_v  uprightness  and  benevolence  ; 
l:>ut,  instead  of  tiint,  calamity  came 
and  swept  all  my  comforts  away. 
He  experienced  the  instability  which 
most  men  are  called  to  experience, 
and  the  divine  dealings  with  him 
showed  that  no  reliance  could  be 
placed  on  confident  plans  of  happi- 
ness in  this  life. 

'Zl .  My  hoxrels  boiled.  Or  rather, 
Mv  bowels  boil — for  he  refers  to  his 
present  circumstances,  and  not  to  the 
past.  It  is  clear  that  by  this  phrase 
he  designs  to  describe  deep  aflliction. 
The  bowels,  in  the  Scriptures,  are 
represented  as  the  seat  of  the  affec- 
tions. By  this  is  meant  the  upper 
Dowels,  or  the  region  of  the  heart 
and  the  lungs.  The  reason  is,  that 
deep  emotions  of  the  mind  are  felt 
there.  The  heart  beats  quick  ;  or  it 
is  heavy  and  pained  ;  or  it  seems  to 
melt  within  us  in  the  exercise  of  pity 
or  compassion.  Comp.  JNotes  on 
Isa.  xvi.  11.  The  idea  here  is,  that 
the  seat  of  sorrow  and  of  grief  was 
atTected  by  his  calamities.  Nor  was 
the  feeling  slight.  His  emotions  he 
compared  with  agitated,  boiling  wa- 
ter. It  is  possible  that  there  is  an 
ttllusion  here  to  the  inflammatory 
nature  of  his  disease,  producing  inter- 
nal heat  and  pain  ;  but  it  is  more 
probable  that  he  refers  to  the  mental 
unguish  which  he  endured.  H  The 
days  of  affliction  prevented  me.  Lite- 
rally, '  have  anticipated  me  '—for  so 
the  word  prevent  was  formerly  used, 
and  so  it  is  uniformly  used  in  the 
Bible.  Notes  on  Job  iii.  12.  Comp. 
Ps.  lix.  10,  Ixxix.  8,  Ixxxviii.  13, 
cxix.  148.  1  Thess.  iv.  15.  There  is 
in  the  Hebrew  word  {^1P,)  the  idea 
tliat  days  of  anguish  came  in  an  un- 
expected manner,  or  that  they  antici- 
pated the  fulfilment  of  his  plans. 
Ail  his  schemes  and  hopes  of  life  had 


prevented  me. 

28  I  went  mourning  without 
the  sun  :  I  stood  up,  and  cried 
in  the  congregation. 


been  anticipated  by  these  overwhelm 
ing  sorrows. 

28.  /  went  mourning.  Or  rather, 
'I  go,'  in  the  present  tense,  for  he  ia 
now  referring  to  his  present  calami- 
ties, and  not  to  what  was  past.  The 
word    rendered    '■mourning,'     how 

ever  ("''HP),  means  here  rather  to  be 
dark,  dingy,  tanned.  It  literally 
means  to  be  foul  or  turbid,  like  a  tor- 
rent. Job  vi.  16  ;  then  to  go  about  in 
filthy  garments,  as  they  do  who 
mourn.  Job  v.  11.  Jer.  xiv.  2;  then 
to  be  dusk}-,  or  of  a  dark  color,  or  to 
become  dark.  Thus  it  is  applied  to 
the  sun  and  moon  becoming  dark  in 
an  eclipse,  or  when  covered  with 
clouds,  Jer.  iv.  28.  Joel  ii.  10,  iv.  15. 
JMic.  iii.  6.  Here  it  refers  to  the  fact 
that,  by  the  mere  force  of  his  disease, 
liis  skin  had  become  dark  and  swar- 
thy, though  he  had  not  been  exposed 
to  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun.  The 
wrath  of  God  had  burned  upon  him, 
and  he  had  become  black  under  it. 
Jerome,  however,  renders  it  mocrens, 
mourning.  The  LXX,  "I  go  groan- 
ing {nrd'oiv)  without  restraint,  or 
limit' — aviv  (fi^iov.  The  Cjialdee 
translates  it  C=*N,  black.  II  Without 
the  sun.  Without  being  exposed  to 
the  sun  ;  or  without  the  agency  of 
the  sun.  Though  not  exposed,  he 
had  become  as  dark  as  if  he  had  been 
a  day-laborer  exposed  to  a  burning 
sun  IT  I  stood  up.  Or,  I  stand  up. 
TT  And  cried  in  the  congregation.  I 
•«tter  my  cries  in  the  congregation, 
or  when  surrounded  by  the  assem- 
bled people.  Once  I  stood  up  to 
counsel  them,  and  they  hung  upon 
my  lips  for  advice  ;  now  1  stand  up 
only  to  weep  over  my  accumulated 
calamities.  This  indicates  the  great 
change  which  had  come  upon  him, 
and  the  depth  of  his  sorrows.  A  man 
will  weep  readily  in  private  ;   but  he 


108 


JOB. 


29  I  am  a  brother  to  dragons, 
and  a  companion  to  '  owls. 

30  My  skin  "  is  black   upon 

1  or,  ostrichcf. 


will  be  slow  to  do  it,  if  he  can  avoid 
It,  when  surrounded  by  a  multitude. 
29.  /  am  a  Ir other  to  dragons. 
That  is,  my  loud  com])laints  and 
cries  resemble  the  doleful  screams  of 
wild  animals,  or  of  the  most  frightful 
monsters.  The  word  'brother'  is 
often  used  in  this  sense,  to  denote 
similarity  in  any  respect.  The  word 
dragons  here  (C"Sn,  tdnnim)  denotes 
properly  a  sea-monster,  a  great  fish, 
a  crocodile  ;  or  the  fancied  animal 
with  wings  called  a  dragon.  See 
Notes  on  Isa.  xiii.  22.  Gesenius, 
Umbreit,  and  Noyes,  render  this 
word  here  jackals — an  animal  be- 
tween a  dog  and  a  fox,  or  a  wolf  and 
a  fox  ;  an  animal  that  abounds  in  des- 
erts and  solitudes,  and  that  makes  a 
doleful  cry  in  the  night.     So  the  Sy- 

riac  renders  it  f''»05^ — an  animal  re- 
sembling a  dog  ;  a  wild  dog.  Cus- 
tell.  Tliis  idea  agrees  with  the  scope 
of  the  passage  better  than  the  com- 
mon reference  to  a  sea-monster  or  a 
crocodile.  "  The  Deeb,  or  Jackal," 
says  Sliaw,  "  is  of  a  darker  color  than 
the  fox,  and  about  the  same  bigness. 
It  yelps  every  night  about  the  gar- 
dens and  villages,  feeding  upon  roots, 
fruit,  and  carrion."  Travels,  p.  247, 
Ed.  Oxford,  1738.  That  some  wild 
animal,  distinguished  for  a  mournful 
noise,  or  howl,  is  meant,  is  evident ; 
and  the  passage  better  agrees  with 
the  description  of  a  jackal  tiian  the 
hissing  of  a  serpent  or  the  noise  of 
the  crocodile.  Bochart  supposes 
that  the  allusion  is  to  dragons,  be- 
cause the)'  erect  tlieir  heads,  and 
their  jaws  are  drawn  open,  and  they 
seem,  to  bo  complaining  against  God 
on  account  of  their  humble  and  mise- 
rable con<lition.  Taylor  (Concord.) 
upposes  it  means  jackals  or  thocs, 
and  refers  to  the  following  places 
where  the  word  may  be  so  used.  Ps. 
xliv,  19.  Isa.  xiii.  22,  xxxiv.  13,  xxxv. 
7,  xliii.  20.  Jer.  ix.  11,   x.  22,   xlix 


me,  and  my  bones  are  burnt  with 
heat. 

31   My  harp  also  is  turned  to 

o  La.  4.  8.  5.  10. 

13,  li.  37.  Lam.  iv.  3.  Mic.  i.  8.  Mai. 
i.  3.  TI  jind  a  companion  to  owls. 
Marg.  ostriches.  The  word  compan- 
ion here  is  used  in  a  sense  similar 
to  brother  in  the  other  member  of  the 
parallelism,  to  denote  resemblance. 
The  Hebrew,  here  rendered  oicls, is, 
literally,  daughters  of  ansicering,  or 
clamor — '^J?.'!  niJ;;.  The  name  is 
given  on  account  of  the  plaintive  and 
mournful  cry  wliich  is  made.  Bo- 
chart. Gesenius  supposes,  however, 
that  it  is  on  account  of  its  greediness 
and  gluttony.  Tiie  name  '  daughters 
of  the  ostrich'  denotes  properly  the 
female  ostrich.  The  phrase  is,  liow- 
ever,  put  for  the  ostrich  of  both  se.xes 
in    many   places.     See  Gesenius   on 

the  word  '^J*'.!!.  Comp.  Notes  on 
Isa.  xiii.  21.  For  a  full  examination 
of  the  meaning  of  the  plirase,  see 
Bochart,  Hieroz.  P.  ii.  L.  2.  cap.xiv. 
pp.  218-231.  See  also  ch.  xxxix. 
13-17.  There  can  be  little  doubt 
that  the  ostrich  is  here  intended,  and 
Job  means  to  say  that  his  mourning 
resembled  tlie  doleful  noise  made  by 
the  ostrich  in  the  lonely  desert. 
Sliaw,  in  his  Travels,  says  tliat  dur- 
ing the  night  "  they  [the  ostriches] 
make  very  doleful  and  hideous  nois- 
es ;  which  would  sometimes  be  like 
the  roaring  of  a  lion  ;  at  other  times 
it  would  bear  a  nearer  resemblance 
to  the  hoarser  voice  of  other  quadru- 
peds, particularly  of  the  bull  and  the 
ox.  I  have  often  lieard  them  groan  as 
if  they  were  in  the  greatest  agonies." 

30.  My  skin  is  black  jipon  me.  See 
ver.  28.  It  had  become  black  by  the 
force  of  the  disease.  IT  Mi)  boiics  are 
burnt  with  heat  The  bones,  in  the 
Scriptures,  are  often  represented  as 
the  seat  of  pain.  The  disease  of  Job 
seems  to  have  pervaded  the  whole 
body.  If  it  was  the  elephantiasis 
(see  Notes  on  ch.  ii.  7,  8),  these  ef- 
fects would  be  naturally  produced 

31.  My    harp    also    is    turned    to 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


109 


mourning,  and  my  organ  into  the  i  \  oice  of  them  that  weep. 


■mourning.  What  formerly  gave 
chueiful  sounds,  now  gives  only 
notes  of  plaintiveness  and  lamenta- 
tion. The  harp  was  probably  an 
instrument  originally  designed  to 
give  sounds  of  joy.  For  a  descrip- 
tion of  it,  see  JVotes  on  Isa.  v.  12.  U 
.'Ind  my  organ.  The  form  of  what 
is  here  called  the  organ,  is  not  cer- 
tainly known.  The  word  -S?  is 
doubtless  from  -?^\  to  breathe,  to 
blow  ;  and  most  j  robably  the  instru- 
ment here  intended  was  the  pipe. 
For  a  description  of  it,  see  Notes 
on  Isa.  V.  12.     This  instrument,  also, 


was  played,  as  would  appear,  on  joy- 
ous occasions,  but  Job  now  says  that 
it  was  turned  to  grief.  All  that  had 
been  joyous  with  him  had  fled.  His 
honor  was  taken  away  ;  his  friends 
were  gone  ;  they  who  had  treated 
bim  with  reverence  now  stood  at  a 
distance,  or  treated  him  with  con- 
tempt ;  his  health  was  departed,  and 
his  former  appearance,  indicating  a 
station  of  affluence,  was  changed  for 
the  dark  complexion  produced  by 
disease,  and  the  instruments  of  joy- 
ousness  now  gave  forth  only  notes  of 
sorrow. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


ANALYSIS    OF    THE    CHAPTER. 


This  chapter  finishes  the  reply  of  Job,  and  closes  the  argument.  Zophar  should  have 
nnawered  in  his  turn,  but  he  is  silent,  and  the  cause  is  then  taken  up  by  Elihu.  The  chapter 
IS  a  beautiful  vindication  of  the  private  life  of  Job.  It  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  uttered  in  the 
spirit  of  boasting  or  self-confidence,  but  as  made  necessary  by  the  accusations  of  his  friends. 
They  had  charged  him  with  crimes  of  an  aggravated  character,  and  they  regarded  his  sufferings 
as  fiill  proof  that  he  was  a  wicked  man.  In  ch.  xxix.  he  had  spoken  of  his  publicWie — his  char- 
acter as  an  Emir  or  magistrate,  and  of  the  honor  that  was  shown  him  in  that  capacity  ;  and  in 
this  chapter  he  goes  into  a  detail  of  the  principles  on  which  bis  private  conduct  was  regulated, 
and  maintains  his  integrity  in  regard  to  his  conduct  there.  While  his  main  design  was  to  meet 
the  charges  of  his  friends,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  there  is  an  implied  reflection  on  the  dealings 
of  God,  as  if  they  were  severe  and  harsh.  See  vs.  35-37.  But  the  picture  which  he  has  drawn 
of  himself  is  exquisitely  beautiful.  Nothing  can  surpass  it  as  a  moral  painting  ;  and  whatever 
may  be  thought  of  the  propriety  of  his  dwelling  on  tlie  virtues  of  his  own  private  life  in  the 
mariner  in  which  he  here  does,  the  description  is  a  fine  illustration  of  what  was  regarded  in  the 
patriarchcil  times  as  constituting  true  piety,  and  of  the  nature  of  true  piety  in  all  ages  and 
lands. 

The  plan  of  the  chapter  is  to  specify  certain  of  the  leading  virtues  of  piety,  and  to  deny  that 
lie  had  been  guilty  of  violatinj  any  of  them,  and  to  imprecate  appropriate  punishment  on  himself 
if  lie  had  been  suilty.     The  following  is  a  summary  of  the  virtues  specified. 

(I.)  C/!a.>«rtw,  vs.  1-4.  He  says  that  he  had  so  conscientiously  adhered  to  that  virtue,  that  ho 
dii  not  even  allow  himself  to  look  on  a  niaid,ver.  1.  He  knew  that  God  would  punish  thia  sin, 
ver.  3;  lie  knew  that  his  eye  saw  all  his  ways,  vor.  4. 

(2)  Seriousness  and  .■Hncerity  of  life,  vs.  5,  6.  He  says  that  he  had  not  walked  in  a  vain  and 
deceitful  manner,  ver.  5,  and  asks  that  he  might  on  this  subject  be  weighed  in  an  even  balance, 
vcr.   C. 

(3.)  Uprirrhtness  and  purity  of  life,  Ts.  7,8.  He  says  that  his  steps  had  not  been  turned  out  of 
the  way.  and  that  no  stain  cleaved  to  his  hands,  ver.  7  ;  if  there  did,  he  asked  that  he  might  be 
compelled  to  sow  while  another  reaped,  and  that  liis  offspring  might  bo  rooted  out,  ver.  8. 

('»  )  Fidelity  to  the  marriage  voir,  vs.  9-12.  He  affirms  that  his  heart  had  not  been  allured  by 
a  Mo:n  in   and  that  he  had  not  attempted  to  destroy  the  peace  of  his  neighbor  by  seduom^  hia 


110 


JOB. 


wife,  ver.  9.  If  8uch  a  fault  should  be  found  against  him,  he  consented  that  his  own  wife  should 
lie  made  to  eerve  others  in  the  most  menial  capacity,  ver.  10.  He  adds,  with  peculiar  emphasis 
and  in  a  manner  that  shows  his  sense  of  the  magnitude  of  such  an  offence,  that  this  was  a 
crime  wliich  ought  to  be  punished  by  the  judges,  and  that  it  was  a  fire  which  consumed  to 
destruction,  vs.  II,  12. 

(5.)  Fidelity  to  h  s  servants,  vs.  13-15.  He  affirms  that  he  had  not  been  guilty  of  injustice  or 
unkiiidness  to  either  his  man-servant  or  maid  servant,  ver.  13.  He  say3  that  he  well  knew  that 
ir'iie  had  been,  ho  could  not  answer  God  when  he  should  call  him  to  judgment,  ver.  14,  for  the 
tame  God  liad  made  him  and  them,  ver.  15. 

(£.)  Benevolence  towards  the  poor,  the  widow,  and  the  fatherless,  vs.  16-23.  He  says  that  if  he 
li«d  been  gviilty  of  neglecting  tlicm ;  if  he  had  caused  the  widow  to  weep,  or  had  eaten  his 
niorsi'l  ;ilone,  or  had  refused  to  clothe  the  naked,  or  to  vindicate  the  cause  of  the  fatherless,  he 
was  willing  tliat  his  arm  should  fall  from  his  shoulder-blade. 

(7.)  freedom,  from  idolatry,  vs.  Si4-28.  He  had  not  put  his  trust  in  gold,  nor  had  he  worshipped 
the  sun  or  the  moon,  vs.  24-27.  He  says  that  that  would  have  been  an  offence  that  should  be 
punished  by  the  judge,  for  he  would  have  denied  the  God  above,  ver.  28- 

(8.)  Kindne.?s  to  his  enemies,  vs.  29,  30.  He  had  not  rejoiced  in  their  destruction,  nor  had  he 
allowed  liis  mouth  to  imprecate  a  curse  on  them. 

(y.)  Hospitality,  vs.  31,  32.  Even  those  that  dwelt  in  his  tent  had  been  constrained  to  express 
their  admiration  at  his  hospitality,  and  he  had  not  suffered  the  stranger  to  lodge  in  the  street, 
nov  refused  to  open  his  doors  to  the  traveller. 

(10.)  Frecdomfrom  sceret  sin,  vs.  33-37.  He  had  not  attempted  to  conceal  his  offonces,  nor  to 
cloak  them  by  hiding  them  in  his  bosom,  vs.  33,  34.  Here  he  could  boldly  make  his  appeal  to 
God,  and  wished  thr.t  the  record  were  made,  and  that  all  his  thoughts,  motives,  and  plans  were 
recorded.  He  says  that  it  would  be  such  a  perfect  vindication  of  his  innocence,  that  he  would 
take  it  triumphantly  on  his  shoulder  and  bind  it  as  a  diadem  on  his  head,  vs.  35-37. 

(11.)  Honesty  towards  others  in  the  purchase  and  use  of  land,  vs.  38-40.  He  says  that  he  had 
not  seized  upon  the  land  of  others  by  violence,  or  cultivated  it  without  paying  for  its  use,  sc 
that  the  land  itself  could  not  cry  out  against  him,  vs.  38,  39.  If  he  had,  he  asked  that  on  his 
own  land  thistles  might  spring  up  instead  of  wheat,  and  cockles  instead  of  barley.  Having  thus 
assorted  his  integrity,  he  said  that  ho  was  dona.  He  regarded  his  character  as  vindicated,  and 
he  had  no  more  to  say. 


T   MADE  a  covenant  with  mine 

a  Matt.  5  28.  *  Pr.  6.  25. 

1.  /  made  a  covenant  icith  mine 
cyrs.  Tlie  first  virtue  of  his  private 
life  to  which  Job  refers  is  chastity, 
yucli  was  his  sense  of  the  importance 
of  this,  and  of  the  danger  to  which 
man  was  exposed,  that  lie  liad  sol- 
emnly resolved  not  to  think  upon  a 
young  female.  The  phrase  here,  "  I 
made  a  covenant  with  mine  eyes,"  is 
poetical,  meaning  that  he  solemnly 
reaolvctl.  A  covenant  is  of  a  sacred 
and  binding  nature  ;  and  the  strength 
of  his  resolution  was  as  great  as  if 
he  had  made  a  solemn  compact.  A 
covenant  or  compact  was  usually 
made  by  slaying  an  animal  in  sacri- 
fice, and  the  compact  was  ratified 
over  the  animal  that  was  slain,  by  a 
kind  of  imprecation  that  if  the  com- 
pact was  violated  the  same  destruc- 
tion might  fall  on  the  violators  which 
fell  on  the  head  of  the  victim.  This 
idea  of  cutting  up  a  victim  on  occa- 
sion of  making  a  covenant,  is  retain- 
ed in  most  langu.tgcs.     So  the  Greek 


eyes ;  "  why  then  should  I  think  ' 
upon  a  maid  ? 

ooxia  Tffirciv,  Ti/i(rfiv  anoiddq,  and 
the  Latin  icere  fccdus — to  strike  a 
league,  in  allusion  to  the  striking 
down,  or  slaying  of  an  animal  on  the 
occasion.  And  so  the  Hebrew,  as  in 
the  place  before  us,  Ti'lS  r'i^2  — to 
cut  a  covenant,  from  cutting  down,  or 
cutting  in  pieces  the  victim  over 
which  the  covenant  was  made.  See 
this  explained  at  length  in  the  Notes 
on  Heb.  ix  16.  By  the  language  here, 
Job  means  that  he  had  resolved,  in 
the  most  solemn  manner,  that  he 
would  not  allow  his  eyes  or  thoughts 
to  endanger  him  by  improperly  con- 
templating a  woman.  11  Why  then 
should  I  think  upon  a  inaidf  Upon 
a  virgin — tl^^PS'by  .  Comp.  Prov. 
vi.  25,  "  Lust  not  after  her  beauty  in 
thine  heart;  neither  let  her  take  thee 
with  her  eyelids."  See,  also,  the 
fearful  and  solemn  declaration  of  the 
Saviour  in  Matth.  v.  28.  There  is 
much     emphasis    in    the    expression 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


Ill 


2  For  what  portion  of  God  is 
there  from  above  '?  and  what  in- 
heritnnce  of  the  Almighty  from 
on  high  I 

used  licre  by  Job.  He  does  not 
•iiorely  say  that  he  had  not  thoiiglit 
ni  that  manner,  but  that  tlie  tiling 
was  morally  impossible  that  be  should 
have  done  it.  Any  charge  of  that 
kind,  or  any  suspicion  of  it,  he  vvould 
repel  with  indignation.  His  purpose 
to  lead  a  pure  life,  and  to  keep  a  pure 
heart,  had  been  so  settled,  that  it 
■was  impossihlc  that  he  could  have 
otTended  in  that  respect.  His  pur- 
pose, also,  not  to  think  on  this  sub- 
ject, showed  the  e.xtent  of  the  re- 
striction imposed  on  himself  It  was 
not  merel\'  his  intention  to  lead  a 
chaste  life,  and  to  avoid  open  sin,  but 
it  was  to  maintain  a  pure  heart,  and 
not  to  suffer  tliii  mind  to  become  cor- 
rupted by  dwelling  on  impure  images, 
or  indulging  in  unholy  desires.  This 
strongly  shows  Job's  piety  and  purity 
if  heart,  and  is  a  beautiful  i!lu.<tra- 
■ion  of  patriarchal  religion.  We  may 
•emark  here,  that  if  a  man  wishes  to 
naintain  purity  of  life,  he  must  make 
ust  such  a  covenant  as  this  with  him- 
self— one  so  sacred,  so  solemn,  so 
firm,  that  he  will  not  suffer  his  mind 
for  a  moment  to  harbor  an  improper 
thought.  "  The  very  passage  of  an 
■mpure  thought  through  the  mind 
■caves  pollution  behind  it  ;"  and  the 
outbreaking  crimes  of  life  are  just  the 
esult  of  allowing  the  imagination  to 
Iwell  on  impure  images.  As  the  eye 
'S  the  great  source  of  danger  (comp. 
•Matth,  v.  23.  2  Peter  ii.  14),  there 
should  be  a  solemn  purpose  that  that 
should  be  pure,  and  that  any  sacrific3 
should  be  made  rather  than  allow  in- 
dulgence to  a  wanton  gaze.  Comp. 
Mark  ix.  47.  No  man  was  ever  too 
much  guarded  on  this  subject ;  no 
one  ever  yet  made  too  solemn  a  cov- 
enant with  his  eyes,  and  with  his 
whole  soul,  to  be  chaste. 

2.  For  ichat  portion  oj  God  is  there 
from  above  ?  Or,  rather,  '  What 
portion  should  I  then  have  from  God 


3  /5  not  destruction  to  the 
wicked  ?  and  a  strange  piinish- 
ment  to  the  workers  of  iniquity  1 


who  reigns  above  .''  Job  asks  with 
emphasis,  what  portion  or  reward  he 
should  expect  from  God  who  reign? 
on  high,  if  he  bad  not  made  such  q 
covenant  with  his  eyes,  and  if  lie  had 
given  the  reins  to  loose  and  wanton 
thoughts  .'  This  question  he  himself 
answers  in  the  following  verse,  and 
says,  that  he  could  have  expected 
only  destruction  from  the  Almighty. 
3  Is  not  destruction  to  the  wicked? 
That  is,  Job  says  that  he  was  well 
aware  that  destruction  would  over- 
take the  wicked,  and  that  if  he  had 
given  indulgimce  to  impure  desires 
he  could  have  looked  for  nothing 
else.  Well  knowing  this,  he  says, 
he  had  guarded  himself  in  the  most 
careful  manner  from  sin,  and  had 
labored  with  the  greatest  assiduity  to 
keep  his  eyes  and  his  heart  pure.  IT 
And  a  strange  punishment — *?.?']• 
The  word  here  used,  means  litcraliy 
strangeness — a  strange  thing,  some- 
thing with  which  we  were  unacquaint- 
ed. It  is  used  here  evidently  in  the 
sense  of  a  strange  or  unusual  punish- 
ment ;  something  which  does  not  oc- 
cur in  the  ordinary  course  of  events. 
The  sense  is,  tliat  for  the  sin  here 
particularly  referred  to,  God  would 
interpose  to  inflict  vengeance  in  a 
manner  such  as  did  not  occur  in  the 
ordinary  dealings  of  his  providence. 
There  would  be  some  punishment 
adopted  peculiarly  to  this  sin,  and 
which  would  mark  it  with  his  especial 
displeasure.  Has  it  not  been  so  in 
all  ages  ?  The  Vulgate  renders  it, 
alienatio,  and  the  LXX  in  a  similar 
manner —  dTTaklnro^ojoiq — and  they 
seem  to  have  understood  it  as  follow- 
ed by  entire  alienatien  from  God  ;  an 
idea  which  would  be  every  where 
sustained  by  a  reference  to  the  history 
of  the  sin  referred  to  by  Job.  There 
is  no  sin  that  so  much  poisons  all  the 
fountains  of  pure  feeling  in  the  soul, 
and   none  that  will  so  certainly  ter 


112 


JOB. 


4  Doth  "  not  he  see  my  ways, 
and  count  all  my  steps  1 

5  If  **  I  have  walked  with  van- 
ity, or  if  my  foot  hath  hasted  to 
deceit  ; 

()  Let   '  me  be  weighed  in  an 

a  Jno.  '.  48.  Js  32.  '9.  b  Vs.  44.20.  21.  1  Aim 
iseiah  mc  in  balurtrcs  ofjii^tue.    c  F.zc    14.  3.  7. 


niinate   in  the  entire  wreck  of  char- 
;u-tir. 

4.  Dotli  he  not  see  my  ways?  Tliis 
either  means  that  God  was  a  witness 
of  all  that  lie  did — his  thoughts, 
words,  and  deeds,  and  would  punish 
him  if  he  had  given  indnlg(aice  to 
improper  feelings  and  thoughts;  or 
that  since  God  saw  all  his  thoughts, 
he  could  boldly  appeal  to  him  as  a 
witness  of  his  innocence  in  this  mat- 
ter, and  HI  proof  that  iiis  life  and 
heart  were  pure.  Ilosenmilller  adopts 
the  latter  interpretation  ;  Herder 
seems  to  incline  to  the  former.  Um- 
breit  renders  it,  "  God  iiimself  must 
be  a  witness  that  I  speak  the  truth.'' 
It  i's  not  easy  to  determine  which  is 
tiie  true  jneaning.  Either  of  them 
will  accord  well  with  the  scope  of 
the  passage. 

5.  //  /  have  icaU>ed  with  vanity. 
This  is  the  second  specification  in  re- 
gard to  his  private  deportment.  He 
says  that  his  life  had  been  sincere, 
upright,  honest.  The  word  vanity 
here  is  equivalent  to  falsehood,  for  so 
the  parallelism  demands,  and  so  the 
word  (-^y-J)  is  often  used.  Ps.  xii.  3, 
xli.  7.  Ex.  xxiii.  1.  Deut.  v.  17.  Comp. 
Isa.  i.  13.  The  meaningof  Job  hero 
is,  that  he  had  been  true  and  honest. 
In  his  dealings  with  others  he  had  not 
defraudeil  them  ;  he  had  not  misre- 
presented things;  he  had  spoken  the 
exact  truth,  and  liad  done  that  which 
was  with.-iit  deception  or  guile.  IT  If 
my  foot  hath  hasted  to  deceit.  That  is, 
if  1  have  gone  to  execute  a  purpose 
of  deceit  or  fraud.  He  had  never, 
on  seeing  an  opportunity  where 
others  miglit  be  dr-frauded,  hastened 
to  embrace  it.  The  LXX  render  this 
verse,  "If  I  have  walked  uith  scofT- 


even    balance,    that    God    may 
know  mine  integrity. 

7  If  my  step  hath  turned  out 
of  the  way,  and  mine  heart  ' 
walked  after  mine  eyes,  and  if 
any  blot  hath  cleaved  to  mine 
hands ; 

crs — /(fr«    yslotarjrojv — and    if  my 
foot  has  hastened  to  deceit." 

6.  Let  me  be  roeightd  in  an  even 
balance.  Marg.  Idni  weigh  me  in 
balances  of  justice.  That  is,  let  him 
ascertain  exactlv  my  character,  and 
treat  me  accordingly.  If  on  trial  it 
be  found  that  I  am  guilty  in  this 
respect,  I  conseiU  to  be  punisiied  ac- 
cordingly. Scales  or  balances  are 
often  used  as  emblematic  of  justice. 
Many  suppose,  however,  that  this 
verse  is  a  parenthesis,  and  that  the 
imprecation  in  verse  8,  relates  to 
verse  5,  as  well  as  to  verse  7.  But 
most  probably  the  meaning  is,  that 
he  consented  to  have  his  life  tried  in 
this  respect  in  the  most  exact  and 
rigid  manner,  and  was  willing  to 
abide  the  result.  A  man  may  ex- 
press such  a  consciousness  of  integ- 
rity in  his  dealings  with  others, 
without  any  improper  self-reliance  or 
boasting.  It  may  be  a  simple  fact  of 
which  he  may  be  certain,  that  he  has 
never  meant  to  defraud  any  man. 

7.  If  my  step  hath  tjirncd  ovt  of  the 
way.  The  path  in  which  I  ought  to 
walk — the  path  of  virtue.  H  ."Ind 
mine  heart  walked  after  mine  eyes. 
That  is,  if  I  have  coveted  what  my 
eyes  have  beheld  ;  or  if  I  have  been 
determined  by  the  appearance  of 
tilings  rather  than  b)'  what  is  right,  I 
consent  to  bear  the  appropriate  pun- 
ishment U  .Qnd  if  any  blot  hath 
cleared  to  mine  hands.  To  have  clean 
hands  is  emblematic  of  innocence. 
Job  -xvii.  9  Ps.  xxiv.  4  Comp.  RIatth. 
xxvii.  24.  The  word  blot  here,  means 
stain,  blemish.  Dan.  i.  4.  The  idea 
is,  that  his  hands  were  pure,  and  that 
he  had  not  been  guilty  of  any  act 
of  fraud  or  violence  in  depriving 
others  of  their  property. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


113 


8  Then  let  me  sow,  and  let 
another  eat  ;  yea,  let  my  off- 
spring be  rooted  out. 

9  If  mine  lieart  have  been 
deceived   by  a  woman  ;   or  (/"  I 

8.  Tlioii  Ift  mc  soir,  and  let  another 
eat.  Tliis  is  the  imprecation  wliicli 
he  invokes,  in  case  lie  had  been 
guilty  ill  this  respect.  He  consented 
to  sow  his  fields  and  let  others  enjoy 
the  harvest.  The  expression  here 
used  is  common  in  tiie  Scriptures  to 
denote  insecurity  of  property  or 
calaniity  in  general.  See  Lev.  xxvi. 
16  :  "  And  ye  shall  sow  jour  seed  in 
vain,  for  your  enemies  shall  eat  it." 
Conip.  Deut  xxviii.  30.  Amos.  ix.  13, 
14.  U  Yea,  let  mij  ojfspring  be  rooted 
out.  Or,  rather,  "  Let  what  I  plant 
be  rooted  up."  So  Umbreit,  Noyes, 
Schull(>ns,  Rosenmuller,  Herder,  and 
Lee  icnderstand  it.  Tjiore  is  no  evi- 
dence that  he  here  alludes  to  his 
children,  for  the  connection  does  not 
demand  it,  nor  does  the  word  used 
here  require  such  an   interpretation. 

The  word  ~"^^^^^<^. — means  properly 
shoots;  that  is,  what  springs  out  of 
any  thing — as  tlie  earth,  or  a  tree — 
from  X^^ — to  go  out,  to  go  forth.  It 
is  applied  to  tlie  productions  of  the 
earth  in  Isa.  xlii.  5,  xxxiv.  1,  and  to 
children  or  posterity,  in  Isa.  xxii. 
24,  Ixi.  9,  Ixv.  23.  Job  v.  25,  xxi.  8. 
Here  it  refer.s  evidently  to  the  pro- 
ductions of  the  earth  ;  and  the  idea 
is,  that  if  he  had  been  guilty  of  dis- 
honesty or  fraud  in  his  dealings,  he 
wished  that  all  that  he  had  sowed 
should  be  rooted  up. 

9.  Jf  mine  heart  have  been  deceived 
by  a  looman.  If  I  have  been  enticed 
by  her  beauty.  The  word  rendered 
deceived  ('^'^S)  means  to  open,  to  ex- 
pand.  It  is  then  applied  to  that 
whicii  is  open  or  ingenuous  ;  to  that 
w  hich  is  unsuspicious — like  a  vouth  ; 
and  thence  is  used  in  the  sense  of 
being  deceived,  or  enticed.  Deut.  xi. 
16.  Ex.  xxii.  15.  Prov.  i.  10,  xvi.  29. 
The  word  "  woman  "  here  probably 
means  a  married  woman,  and  stands 


have  laid  wait  at  my  neighbour's 
door  ; 

10  Then  let  my  wife  grind 
unto  another,  and  let  others  bow 
down  upon  her. 

opposed  to  "  virgin  '"  in  ver.  1.  The 
crime  which  he  here  disclaims  is 
adultery,  and  he  says  that  his  heart 
had  never  been  allured  from  conjugal 
fidelity  by  the  charms  or  the  arts  of  a 
woman.  Tl  Or  if  I  have  laid  wait  at 
viy  neighbor's  door.  Tliat  is,  to  watch 
when  he  would  be  absent  from  home. 
This  was  a  common  practice  with 
those  who  were  guilty  of  tlie  crime 
referred  to  here.  Conip.  Prov.  vii. 
8,9. 

10.  Then  let  my  wife  grind  unto 
another.  Let  her  be  subjected  to  the 
deepest  humiliation  and  degradation. 
Probably  Job  could  not  have  found 
language  which  would  have  more  em- 
phatically cxj)ressed  his  sense  of 
the  enormity  of  tiiis  crime,  or  his  per- 
fect consciousness  of  innocence.  The 
last  thing  whicli  a  man  would  impre- 
cate on  himself,  would  be  that  which 
is  specified  in  this  verse.     The  word 

grind  (11^)  means  to  crush,  to  beat 
small  ;  then  to  grind,  as  in  a  hand- 
mill.  Judges  svi.  21.  Num.  xi.  8. 
This  was  usually  the  work  of  females 
and  slaves.  See  Notes  on  Isa.  xlvii. 
2.  The  meaning  here  is,  '  Let  my 
wife  be  the  mill-wench  to  another  ; 
be  his  abject  slave,  and  be  treated 
by  him  with  the  deepest  indignity.' 
This  passage  has  been  understood  by 
many  in  a  different  sense,  which  the 
parallelism  might  seem  to  demand, 
but  which  is  not  necessarily  the  true 
interpretation.  The  sense  referred 
to  is  this  :  Cogatur  uxor  mea  ad  pati- 
endum  alius  concubituni,  ut  verbum 
niolendi  hoc  loco  eodem  sensu  suma- 
tur,  cpio  non  raro  a  Latinis  usurpatur 
ut  in  illo  Hcratii  (Satyr.  L.  i.  Eel.  ii. 
ver.  35),  alicnas  permolcre  uxores. 
In  this  sense  the  Rabbinic  writers 
understand  Judges  xvi.  21  and  Lam. 
V.  13.  So  also  the  Chaldee  renders 
the  phrase  before  us  (I'^^n  DSll553ltin 


114 


JOB. 


11  For  this  is  an  heinous 
crime ;  yea,  it  is  "  an  iniquity 
to  be  punished  by  the  judges, 

a  Le.  20.  10. 

''r^r'^*?)  coeat  cum  alio  uxor  vica  ;  and 
.so  the  LXX  seein  to  have  understood 
't — autna.L  cloa.  xai,  tj  yvrfj  fiov  iriyo). 
But  jirobubly  Job  meant  merely  that 
his  wife  should  be  reduced  to  the  con- 
dition of  servitude,  and  be  compelled 
to  labor  in  the  employ  of  another. 
Wii  may  find  here  an  answer  to  the 
opinion  of  Prof.  Lee  (in  his  Notes  on 
vnr.  1),  that  the  wife  of  Job  was  at 
this  lime  dead,  and  that  he  was  medi- 
tating the  question  about  marrying 
again.  May  we  not  here  also  find 
an  instance  of  the  fidelity  and  for- 
giving spirit  of  Job  towards  a  wife 
wiio  is  represented  in  the  early  part 
of  tliis  l)ook  as  manifesting  few  quali- 
ties which  could  win  the  heart  of  an 
husband  .'  There  is  no  expression 
of  impatience  at  her  temper  and  her 
words  on  the  part  of  Job,  and  he 
here  speaiis  of  it  as  the  most  serious 
of  all  calamities  that  could  happen  ; 
the  most  painful  of  all  punishments, 
tiiat  that  same  wife  should  be  reduced 
to  a  condition  of  servitude  and  degra- 
dation. 

11.  For  this  is  an  heinous  crims. 
Tliis  expresses  Job's  sense  of  the 
enormity  of  sucli  an  ofience.  He 
felt  that  there  was  no  palliation  for 
it  ;  he  would  in  no  wa}',  and  on  no 
l)relence,  attempt  to  vindicate  it.  U 
.in  iniiiuity  to  be  punislied  by  the 
judges.  A  crime  lor  the  judges  to 
ileterniinc  on  and  decide.  The  sins 
which  Job  had  specified  before  this, 
were  those  of  the  heart  ;  but  here  he 
reefers  to  a  crime  against  societv — an 
ofl'ence  which  deserved  the  interpo- 
sition oi'  the  magistrate.  It  may  be 
o!)served  here,  that  adultery  has  al- 
ways been  regarded  as  a  sin  ' to  be 
punished  by  the  judges.'  In  most 
couulrics  it  lias  been  punished  with 
death.     8ee  Notes  on  John  viii.;j. 

\'2.  For  it  is  afire  that  consinncth 
to  destruction.  This  may  mean  that 
such    an    oflcnce   would    be    a  crime 


12  For  it  is  a  fire  that  con- 
suraeth  to  destruction,  *  and 
would  root  out  all  mine  increase. 

b  Mai.  3.  5.  He.  13.  4. 

that  would  provoke  God  to  send  de- 
struction, like  a  consuming  fire,  upon 
the  offender  {Rostnmilllcr  and  J\'oijes), 
or  more  likely  it  is  designed  to  be 
descri'ptive  of  the  nature  of  the  sin 
itself.  According  to  this,  the  mean- 
ing is,  that  indulgence  in  this  sin 
tends  wholly  to  ruin  and  destroy  a 
man.  It  is  like  a  consuming  fire, 
which  sweeps  away  every  thing  be- 
fore it.  It  is  destructive  to  the  body, 
the  morals,  the  soul.  Accordingly, 
it  may  be  remarked  that  there  is  no 
one  vice  which  pours  such  desolation 
through  the  soul  as  licentiousness. 
See  Rush  on  the  Diseases  of  the 
Mind.  It  corrupts  and  taints  all  the 
fountains  of  morals,  and  utterly  anni- 
hilates all  purity  of  the  heart.  An 
intelligent  gentleman,  and  a  careful 
observer  of  the  state  of  things  in  so- 
ciety, once  remarked  to  me,  that  on 
coming  to  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  it 
was  his  fortune  to  be  in  the  same 
boarding-house  with  a  number  ol 
young  men,  nearly  all  of  whom  were 
known  to  him  to  be  of  licentious 
habits.  He  has  lived  to  watch  their 
course  of  life  ;  and  he  remarked,  that 
there  was  not  one  of  them  who  did 
not  ultimately  show  that  he  was 
essentially  corrupt  and  unprincipled 
in  every  department  of  morals. 
There  is  not  any  one  propensity  o1 
man  that  spreads  such  a  withering 
influence  over  tiie  soul  as  this  ;  and, 
however  it  may  be  accounted  for,  if 
is  certain  that  indulgence  in  this  vice 
is  a  certain  evidence  that  the  whole 
soul  is  corrupt,  and  that  no  reliance 
is  to  be  placed  on  the  man's  virtue 
in  any  respect,  or  in  reference  to  any 
relation  of  life.  TI  .ind  would  root 
out  all  mine  increase.  By  its  desO' 
lating  effects  on  my  heart  and  life 
The  meaning  is,  that  it  would  utterly 
ruin  him.  Comp.  Luke  xv.  13,  30. 
How  many  a  wretched  sensualist  can 
bear  testimony  to  the  truth  of  this 


V- 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


115 


13  If  I  did  despise  the  cause 
of  my  man-servant,  or  of  my 
maid-servant,  when  they  con- 
tended with  me  ; 

14  What  then  shall  I  do  when 
God  riseth   up  ?  and,    when   he 

a  Pr.  22.  2. 

statoinent  !  How  many  a  young 
man  li;is  bueii  wliolly  ruined  in  refer- 
ence to  liis  worldly  interests,  as  well 
as  in  reference  to  his  soul,  by  this 
vice  !  Conip.  Prov.  vii.  No  young 
man  could  do  a  better  service  to  liini- 
self  than  to  commit  the  whole  of  that 
chapter  to  memory,  and  so  engrave 
it  on  his  soul  that  it  never  could  be 
forgotten. 

]  3.  If  I  did  despise  the  cause  of  my 
ijiitn-scrvant.  Job  turns  to  another 
subject,  on  which  he  claimed  that 
liis  life  had  been  upright.  It  was  in 
reference  to  the  treatment  of  his  ser- 
vants. The  meaning  here  is,  '  I  ne- 
ver refused  to  do  strict  justice  to  my 
servants  when  they  brought  their 
cause  before  me,  or  when  they  com- 
plained that  my  dealings  with  them 
jiad  been  severe.'  IT  When  they  con- 
tended icith  me.  That  is,  when  they 
brought  their  cause  before  me,  and 
complained  that  I  had  not  provided 
for  them  comfortably,  or  that  their 
task  had  been  too  hard.  If  in  any 
rrspect  they  supposed  they  had  cause 
of  complaint,  I  listened  to  them  at- 
tentively, and  endeavored  to  do  right. 
He  did  not  take  advantage  of  his 
poicer  to  oppress  them,  nor  did  he 
suppose  that  they  had  no  rights  of 
any  kind.  It  is  evident,  from  this, 
that  Job  had  those  who  sustained  to 
him  the  relation  of  servants  ;  but 
wiiither  they  were  slaves,  or  hired 
servants,  is  not  known.  The  lan- 
guage here  will  agree  with  either 
Bupposition,  though  it  cannot  be 
doubted  that  slavery  was  known  as 
early  as  the  time  of  Job.  There  is 
no  certain  evidence  that  he  held  any 
slaves,  in  the  proper  sense  of  the 
term,  nor  that  he  regarded  slavery  as 
right.  Comp.  Notes  on  ch.  i.  3.  He 
here  refers  to  the  numerous  persons 


visiteth,    what   shall    I    answer 
him  ? 

15  Did  "  not  he  that  made  me 
in  the  womb  make  him  ?  and 
'  did  not  one  fashion  us  in  the 
womb  ? 

J  or,  did  he  not  fashion  ub  in  one  womb. 


that  had  been  in  his  employ  in  the 
days  of  his  prosperity,  and  says  that 
he  had  never  taken  advantage  of  his 
power  or  rank  to  do  them  wrong. 

14.  What  then  shall  I  do  ichtn  God 
riseth  vp  ?  That  is,  when  he  rises 
up  to  pronounce  sentence  on  men,  or 
to  execute  impartial  justice.  Job 
admits  that  if  he  had  done  injustice 
to  a  servant,  he  would  have  reason 
to  dread  the  divine  indignation,  and 
that  he  could  have  no  excuse.  "I 
tremble,"  said  President  Jetlerson, 
speaking  of  slavery  in  the  United 
States,  "  when  I  remember  that  God 
is  just  !"'  JVotes  on  Virginia,  'i  J)nd 
ichcn  he  visiteth.  When  he  comes 
to  inspect  human  conduct.  Umbreit 
renders  it,  '  when  he  punishes.'  The 
word  visit  is  often  used  in  this  sense 
in  the  Scriptures. 

15.  Did  not  he  that  made  me  in  the 
icomh  make  him?  Had  we  not  one 
and  the  same  Creator,  and  have  we 
not  consequently  the  same  nature  ? 
We  may  observe  in  regard  to  this 
sentiment,  (1.)  That  it  indicates  a 
very  advanced  state  of  view  in  regard 
to  man.  The  attempt  has  been  al- 
ways made  by  those  who  wish  to 
tyrannize  over  others,  or  \\  ho  aim  to 
make  slaves  of  others,  to  show  that 
they  are  of  a  different  race,  and  that 
in  the  design  for  which  they  were 
made,  they  are  wholly  inferior.  Ar- 
guments have  been  derived  from 
their  complexion,  froni  their  suppos- 
ed inferiority  of  intellect,  and  the 
deep  degradation  of  their  condition, 
often  little  above  that  of  brutes,  to 
prove  that  they  were  originally  infe- 
rior to  the  rest  of  mankind.  On  this 
the  plea  has  been  often  urged,  and 
oftener/e/<  than  urged,  that  it  is  right 
to  reduce  them  to  slavery.  Since 
this    feeling    so   early    existed,    and 


116 


JOB. 


IC  If  I  have  withheld  the 
poor  from  their  desire,  or  have 
caused  the  eyes  of  the  widow  to 
fail  ; 


since  tlicro  is  so  iiuicli  that  may  be 
jj!ausil)ly  said  in  defence  of  it,  it 
shows  tltat  Job  had  derived  his  views 
from  something  more  tlian  the  specu- 
lations of  men,  and  the  desire  of 
power,  when  he  says  tliat  he  regard- 
ed all  men  as  originally  equal,  and 
as  having  the  same  Creator.  It  is  in 
fact  a  sentiment  which  men  have 
been  practically  very  reluctant  to  be- 
lieve, and  which  works  its  way  very 
slowly  even  yet  on  the,  earth.  Comp. 
Acts  xvii.  26.  (2.)  This  sentiment, 
if  fairly  embraced  and  carried  out, 
would  s  on  destroy  slavery  every 
where.  If  men  felt  that  they  were 
reducing  to  bondage  those  who  were 
originally  on  a  level  with  themselves 
— made  by  the  same  God,  with  the 
same  fuciilties,  and  for  the  same  end  ; 
if  they  felt  that  in  their  very  origin, 
in  their  nature,  there  was  that  \vhieh 
could  not  be  made  mere  prupcrtij,  it 
would  soon  abolish  the  whole  .•sys- 
tem. It  is  kept  up  only  where  men 
endeavor  to  convince  themselves 
that  there  is  S07ne  original  ivfcriority 
in  the  slave  which  makes  it  proper 
that  he  should  be  reduced  to  servi- 
tude and  bo  held  as  property.  But 
as  soon  as  there  can  be  diffused 
abroad  the  sentiment  of  Paul,  that 
"  God  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  na- 
tions of  men,"  (Acts  xvii.  261,  or  the 
sentiment  of  the  patriarch  Job,  that 
'  the  same  God  made  us  and  them  in 
the  womb,'  that  moment  the  shackles 
of  the  slave  will  fall,  and  he  will  be 
free.  Hence  it  is  apparent,  how 
Clirislianity,  that  carries  this  lesson 
on  its  fore  front,  is  the  grand  remedy 
for  the  evils  of  slavery,  and  needs 
only  to  be  universally  diffused  to 
bring  the  system  to  an  end.  IT  .>ind 
did  not  one  fashion  us  in  the  womb  ? 
Marg.  Or,  did  he  not  fashion  us  in 
one  iDomb  ?  The  Hebrew  will  bear 
either  construction,  but  the  parallel- 
ism rather  requires  that  given  in  the  i 


17  Or  have  eaten  my  morsel 
myself  alone,  and  the  fatherless 
hath  not  eaten  thereof; 


text,  and  most  expositors  agree  ia 
this  interpretation  The  sentiment 
is,  whichever  interpretation  be  adopt- 
ed, that  they  had  a  common  origin  ; 
that  God  would  watch  over  them 
alike  as  his  children  ;  and  that, 
therefore,  they  had  equal  rights. 

16.  Jf  I  have  iciihheld  the  poor 
from  their  desire.  Job  now  turns  to 
another  class  of  virtues,  regarded  also 
as  of  great  importance  in  the  patri- 
archal ages,  kindness  to  the  poor 
and  the  afflicted  ;  to  the  fitherless 
and  the  widow.  He  appeals  tf)  his 
former  life  on  this  subject  ;  affirms 
that  he  had  a  good  conscience  in  the 
recollection  of  his  dealiiigs  with 
them,  and  impliedly  declares  that  it 
could  not  have  been  for  any  deficien- 
cy in  the  exercise  of  these  virtues 
that  his  calamities  had  come  upon 
him.  The  meaning  hero  is,  that  he 
had  not  denied  to  the  poor  their  wish. 
If  they  had  coinc  and  desired  bread 
of  him,  he  had  not  withheld  it.  See 
ch.  xxii.  7.  IT  Or  caused  the  eyes  of 
the  widoio  to  fail.  That  is,  I  have 
not  frustrated  her  hopes,  or  disap- 
pointed her  expectations,  when  she 
lias  looked  intently  upon  me,  and 
desired  my  aid.  The  'failing  of  the 
eyes'  refers  to  failing  of  the  object  of 
their  c?[yectation  ;  or  the  expression 
means  that  she  had  not  looked  to 
him  in  vain.     See  ch.  xi.  20. 

]  7.  Or  have  eaten  my  m.orsel  myself 
alone.  If  I  have  not  imparted  what 
I  had,  though  ever  so  small,  to  others. 
This  was  in  accordance  with  the 
Oriental  laws  of  hospitality.  It  is 
regarded  as  a  fixed  law  among  the 
x\rabians,  that  the  guest  shall  always 
be  helped  first,  and  to  that  which  is 
best  ;  and  no  matter  how  needy  the 
family  may  be,  or  how  much  dis- 
tressed with  hunger,  the  settled  laws 
of  hospitality  demand  that  the  stran- 
ger-gue.st  shall  have  the  first  and  best 
portion.     Dr.  Robinson,  in  his  '  Bib- 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


117 


IS   (For    from    my    youth    he 
was    brought    up    with    me,    as 


lical  J{(.'.se:irclies,'  gives  an  nniusiiig 
itist.iiico  of  the  extent  to  wliicli  this 
law  is  carried,  and  the  sternness  with 
\vi:i.-h  it  is  executed  among  tiic 
A  abs.  In  the  journey  from  Suez  to 
I\i(>uiu  Sinai,  intending  to  furnish  a 
nujiper  ibr  tiie  Araljs  in  their  employ, 
he  and  his  fellow'-travellers  had 
bougiit  a  kid,  and  led  it  along  to  the 
jilace  of  their  encampment.  At 
night  the  kid  was  killed  and  roasted, 
and  the  Arabs  were  anticipating  a 
•savory  supper.  But  those  of  whom 
they  had  bought  the  kid,  learned  in 
some  way  that  they  were  to  encamp 
near,  and  naturally  concluded  that 
the  kid  was  bought  to  be  eaten,  and 
followed  them  to  the  place  of  en- 
cauipnicnt,  to  the  number  of  five  or 
six  persons.  "  Now  the  stern  law  of 
Arabian  hospitality  demands,  that 
whenever  a  guest  is  present  at  a 
meal,  whether  there  be  much  or  lit- 
tle, the  first  and  best  portion  must  be 
laid  before  the  stranger.  In  this  in- 
stance the  five  or  six  guests  attained 
their  object,  and  had  not  only  the 
selling  of  the  kid,  but  also  the  eating 
of  it,  while  our  poor  Arabs,  whose 
mouths  had  long  been  watering  with 
expectation,  weie  forced  to  take  up 
with  the  fragments."  Vol.  i.  118. 
There  is  often,  indeed,  ninch  osten- 
tation in  the  hospitality  of  the  Ori- 
entals, but  the  law  is  stern  and 
inflexible.  "  No  sooner,"  says  Shaw 
(Travels,  vol.  i.  p.  20),  "  was  our 
food  prepared,  than  one  of  the  Arabs, 
having  placed  himself  on  the  highest 
spot  of  ground  in  the  neighborhood, 
called  out  thrice  with  a  loud  voice  to 
all  their  brethren,  the  sons  of  the 
faithful,  to  come  and  partake  of  it ; 
though  none  of  them  were  in  view, 
or  perhaps  within  a  hundred  miles  of 
them."  The  great  law  of  hospitality 
Job  says  he  had  carefully  observed, 
and  had  not  withheld  what  he  had 
from  the  poor  and  the  fatherless. 

13.   Fo'    from    mij   youth    he    icas 
brought  up  with  me.     This  verse  is 


with  a  father,  and  I  have  guided 
'  her  from  my  mother's  womb  ;) 

t  i.  e.  the  widow. 

usually  regarded  as  a  parenthesis, 
though  very  various  expositions  liavo 
been  given  of  it.  Some  have  under- 
stood it  as  denying  that  he  had  in  a.iy 
way  neglected  tiie  widow  and  the 
fatherless,  and  affirming  that  the  or 
phan  had  always,  even  from  his 
youth,  found  a  father  in  him,  and  the 
widow  a  guide.  Others,  as  our  trans- 
lators, suppose  that  it  is  a  parenthesis 
thrown  in  to  indicate  his  general 
course  of  life,  altiiough  the  impreca- 
tion which  lie  makes  on  himself,  if  he 
had  neglected  the  widow  and  the  or- 
phan, is  found  in  ver.  22.  Luther 
reads  the  two  previous  verses  as  ques- 
tions, and  this  as  an  answer  to  them, 
;ind  so  also  do  RosenmOller  and 
Noyes.  Umbreit  regards  this  verse 
as  a  parenthesis.  This  is  probably  to 
be  considered  as  the  correct  interpre- 
tation, for  this  better  agrees  with  the 
Hebrew  than  the  other  proposed.  It 
implies  a  denial  of  having  neglected 
the  widow  and  the  orphan,  but  the 
ftdl  expression  of  liis  abhorrence  of  a 
charge  of  having  done  so,  is  to  be 
found  in  the  strong  language  in  ver. 
22.  The  unusual  Hebrew  word 
■^S^^5  stands  probably  for  "^53iJ  ^"la— 
'  he  was  brought  up  with  mo.'  This 
form  of  the  word  does  not  elsewhere 
occur.  ^  Jis  2oith  a  father.  That  is, 
he  always  found  in  ine  one  who  treat- 
ed him  as  a  father.  The  meaning 
is,  that  he  had  always  had  under  his 
care  those  who  were  orphans  ;  that 
from  his  very  youth  they  had  been 
accustomed  to  look  up  to  him  as  a 
father;  a<id  that  they  had  never  been 
disappointed  in  him.  It  is  the  lan- 
guage of  one  who  seems  to  have  been 
born  to  rank,  and  who  had  the  means 
of  benefiting  others,  and  who  had 
done  it  all  his  life.  This  accords 
also  with  the  Oriental  notions  of 
kindness — requiring  that  it  should  be 
shown  especially  to  the  widow  and 
the  fatherless.  IF  /  have  guided  her. 
Marg.  '  That  is,  the  ividow.'  The 
meaning   is,  that   he  liad    been    her 


118 


JOB. 


19  If  I  have  seen  any  perish 
for  want  of  clothing,  or  any  poor 
without  covering  ; 

20  If  "  his  loins  have  not 
blessed  me,  and  if  he  were  not 
wanned  with  the  fleece  of  my 
sheep  ; 

a  De.  2i  13. 

counsellor  and  friend.  IT  From  my 
mother's  womb.  This  cannot  be  lite- 
rally true,  but  it  means  that  he  had 
done  it  from  early  life  ;  or  as  we 
would  say,  he  had  always  done  it. 

19.  If  J  have  seen  any  perish,  &c. 
He  turns  to  another  virtue  of  the  same 
general  class — that  of  providing  for 
the  poor.  The  meaning  is  clear,  that 
he  had  always  assisted  the  poor  and 
needy. 

20.  If  his  loins  have  not  blessed  me. 
This  is  a  personification  by  which 
the  part  of  the  body  that  had  been 
clothed  by  the  benevolence  of  Job, 
is  supposed  to  speak  and  render  him 
thanks. 

21.  If  I  have  lifted  vp  my  hand 
acrainst  the  fatherless.  That  is,  if  I 
have  taken  advantage  of  my  rank, 
influence,  and  power,  to  oppress  and 
injure  him.  H  When  I  saw  my  help 
in  the  gate.  Tiie  gate  of  a  city  was 
a  place  of  concourse  ;  a  place  where 
debates  were  held,  and  where  ju.stice 
was  administered.  Job  speaks  here 
of  that  part  of  his  life  when  he  was 
clothed  with  authority  as  a  magis- 
trate, or  when  he  had  power  and  in- 
fluence as  a  public  man.  He  says 
that  he  had  never  abused  this  power 
to  oppress  the  fatherless.  He  had 
never  taken  advantage  of  his  influ- 
ence to  injure  them,  because  he  saw 
he  had  a  strong  party  under  his  con- 
trol, or  because  lie  had  power  enough 
to  carry  his  point,  or  because  lie  had 
those  under  him  who  would  sustain 
him  in  an  oppressive  measure.  This 
is  spoken  with  reference  to  the  usually 
feeble  and  defenceless  condition  of 
the  orphan,  as  one  who  is  deprived 
of  his  natural  protector,  and  who  is, 
therefore,  liable  to  be  wronged  by 
tbose  in  power. 


21  If  I  have  lifted  up  my 
hand  against  the  fatherless^ 
when  I  saw  my  help  in  the  gate  : 

22  Then  let  mine  arm  fall 
from  my  shoulder-blade,  and 
mine  arm  be  broken  from  '  the 
bone. 

1  or,  the  chanel-bonc. 


22.  Then  letviinearm.  The  strong 
language  which  Job  uses  here,  shows 
his  consciousness  of  innocence,  and 
his  detestation  of  the  offences  to 
which  he  here  refers,  vs.  16-22.  The 

word  rendered  arm  here  ("v)^) 
means  properly  th.e  shoulder.  Isa. 
.xlvi.  7,  xlix.  22.  Num.  vii.  9  Comp. 
Notes  on  Isa.  xi.  14.  Tliere  is  no 
instance,  it  is  believed,  unless  this  is 
one,  in  which  it  means  arm,  and  the 
meaning  here  is,  that  he  wished,  if 
he  had  been  guilty,  his  shoulder 
might  separate  from  the  blade.  So 
Herder,  llosenmilller,  Umbreit,  and 
Noyes  render  it  ;  and  so  the  Vulgate 
and  the  LXX.  Tl  From  my  shoulder 
blade.  The  scapula — the  flat  bone 
to  which  the  upper  arm  is  attached 
The  wish  of  Job  is,  that  the  shoulder 
might  separate  from  tliat,  and  of 
course  the  arm  would  be  useless. 
Such  a  strong  imprecation  implies  a 
firm  consciousness  of  innocence.  IT 
And  mine  arm.  The  word  arm  here 
denotes  the  forearm — the  arm  from 
the  elbow  to  the  fingers.  TT  From  the 
bone.  Marg.  "  the  cka7iel-bone."  Lit- 
erally, "from  tlie  reed" — f^JI^''?  • 
Umbreit  renders  it,  SchneUer  als  ein 
Rohr — quicker  than  a  reed.  The  word 
riDJ? — lidnd,  means  properly  a  reed, 
cane,  calamus  (Notes  on  Isa  xliii 
21),  and  is  here  applied  to  the  U[)pnr 
arm,  or  arm  above  the  e^bow,  from 
its  resemblance  to  a  reed  or  cane.  It 
is  applied,  also,  to  the  arm  or  branch 
of  a  ciiandelier,  or  candlestick,  Ex. 
XXV.  31,  and  to  the  rod  or  beam  of  a 
balance.  Isa.  xlvi.  6.  The  meaning 
here  is,  that  he  wished  that  his  arm 
should  be  broken  at  the  elbow,  or  the 
forearm  be  separated  from  the  upper 
arm,  if  he  were    guilty  of   the    sins 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


119 


23  For  "  destruction  from 
God  W((s  a  terror  to  me,  and  by 
reason  of  his  highness  ''  I  could 
not  endure. 

24  If  "  I  have  made  gold  my 
hope,  or  have  said  to  the  fine 
gold,    Thou  art  my  confidence  ; 

a  Ps.  119.  IJO.     6  P^.  76.  7.     c  1  Ti.  l5.  17. 

\vhicli  lie  liad  specified.  There  is 
rtlliision,  prohiibly,  and  tiicre  is  great 
foife  and  iiropriety  in  the  allusion,  to 
wliat  Iii;  had  said  in  ver.  21 :  "If  his 
arm  had  boon  lifted  up  against  an 
or])han,  lie  prayed  tliat  it  might  fall 
])o\verlf:ss." 

23.  For  destruction  from  God  was 
u  terror  to  inc.  The  destruction  which 
God  would  bring  upon  one  who  was 
guilty  of  the  crime  here  specified, 
awed  and  restrained  mc.  He  was 
deterred  from  this  crime  of  oppress- 
ing tiie  fatiierless  by  the  fear  of  God. 
He  could  have  escaped  the  judgment 
of  men.  He  had  power  and  influ- 
ence enough  not  to  dread  the  penalty 
of  human  law.  He  could  have  done 
it  in  such  a  way  as  not  to  have  been 
arraigned  before  any  earthly  tribunal, 
but  he  remembered  that  the  eye  of 
God  was  upon  him,  and  that  he  was 
the  avenger  of  the  fatherless  and  the 
widow.  IT  And  by  reuson  of  his  high- 
ness. On  account  of  liis  majesty, 
exaltation,  glory.  IF  I  could  not  en- 
dure. hz'^X  )kh—I  could  not;  that 
is,  I  could  not  do  it.  I  was  so  much 
awed  by  his  majesty  ;  I  had  such  a 
veneration  for  him,  that  I  could  not 
be  guilty  of  such  an  oflence. 

24.  If  I  have  mndc  gold  my  hope- 
That  is,  if  I  have  put  my  trust  in  gold 
rather  than  in  God  ;  if  I  have  fixed 
my  afiectious  with  idolatrous  attach- 
ment on  riches  rather  than  on  my 
jMaker.  Job  here  introduces  another 
class  of  sins,  and  says  that  his  con- 
science did  not  charge  him  with  guilt 
in  respect  to  them.  He  had  before 
epoken  mainly  of  social  duties,  and 
of  his  manner  of  life  towards  the 
poor,  the  needy,  the  widow,  and  the 
orphan.     He   here  turns  to  the  duty 


25  If  I  rejoiced  because  my 
wealth  ivas  great,  and  because 
mine  hand  had  gotten  '  much  ; 

26  If  1  beheld  the  '  sun  when 
it  shined,  or  the  moon  walking 
^  in  brightness, 

1  found.      2  light.       3  briirhu 

which  lie  owed  to  God,  and  says  that 
his  conscience  did  not  charge  him 
with  idolatry  in  any  form.  He  had 
indeed  been  rich,  but  he  had  not  fixed 
his  affections  with  idolatrous  attach- 
ment on  his  wealth.  11  Or  hart  said 
to  fine  gold.  The  word  here  used 
(^"r)  is  the  same  which  is  employ- 
ed in  ill.  xxviii  16,  to  denote  the 
gold  of  Opiiir.  It  is  used  to  express 
that  which  was  most  pure — from  the 
verb  05^3 — to  hide,  to  hoard,  and  then 
denoting  that  which  was  hidden, 
hoarded,  precious.  The  meaning  is, 
that  he  had  not  put  liis  trust  in  that 
which  was  most  sought  after,  and 
which  was  deemed  of  the  highest 
value  by  men. 

25.  If  I  have  rejoiced,  because  my 
wealth  was  great.  That  is,  if  I  have 
rejoiced  as  if  J  might  now  confide  in 
it,  or  put  my  trust  in  it.  He  had  not 
found  his  principal  joy  in  his  property, 
nor  had  he  attempted  to  find  in  that 
the  happiness  which  he  ought  to  seek 
in  God.  IT  .^^nd  because  mine  hand 
had  gotten  much.  Marg.  found. 
Prof.  Lee  translates  this,  "  When  as 
a  mighty  man  my  hand  prevailed." 
But  the  usual  interpre.tation  is  given 
in  our  translation,  and  this  accords 
better  with  the  connection.  The 
word  found  better  expresses  the  sense 
of  the  Hebrew  than  gotten,  but  the 
sense  is  not  materially  varied. 

26.  If  1  beheld  the  sun  ichcn  it 
shined.  Marg.  light.  Tlie  Hebrew 
word  ("il^)  properly  means  light,  but 
that  it  here  means  the  sun  is  manifest 
from  the  connection,  since  the  moon 
occurs  in  the  parallel  membor  of  tlie 
sentence.  Why  the  word  light  is 
used  here  rather  than  sun,  can  be 
only  a  matter  of  conjecture.     It  mav 


120 


JOB. 


be  because  the  worship  to  which  Job 
refers  was  not  primarily  and  origi- 
nally tiiat  of  the  sun,  the  uioon,  or 
the  stars,  but  of  light  as  such,  and 
that  he  mentions  this  as  the  essen- 
tial feature  of  the  idolatry  which  he 
Jiail  avoided.  The  worship  of  light 
in  general  soon  became  in  fact  the 
worship  of  the  sun — as  that  is  the 
principal  source  of  liglu.  There  is 
no  tloubt  that  Job  here  refers  to 
idolatrous  worship,  and  the  passage 
is  particularly  valuable,  as  it  describes 
one  of  tiie  forms  of  idolatry  then 
existing,  and  refers  to  some  of  the 
customs  then  prevalent  in  such  wor- 
ship. Tlie  word  light  is  used,  also, 
to  denote  the  sun  in  ch.  xx.xvii.  21. 
Comp.  Isa.  xviii.  4.  Habak.  iii.  4. 
So,  also.  Homer  speaks  of  the  sun 
not  only  as  ).afinaov  q;cioq  r]f)Joio — 
bright  light  of  the  sun,  but  simply  as 
(jdm; — light.  Odyss.  r.  335.  The 
worship  here  referred  to  is  tliat  of  the 
heavenly  bodies,  and  it  is  known  that 
this  existed  in  tlie  early  periods  of 
the  world,  and  was  probably  one  of 
the  first  forms  of  idolatry.  It  is  ex 
prt-ssly  mentioned  by  Ezekiel  as  pre- 
vailing in  his  time.  Ch.  viii.  16, 
"  And  they  worshipped  the  sun  to- 
wards the  east."  That  it  prevailed  in 
the  time  of  ?iIoses,  is  evident  from 
the  caution  which  he  gives  in  Dent. 
iv.  19.  Comp.  2  Kings  xxiii.  5.  It  is 
well  known,  also,  that  tlie  worship 
of  tlie  heavenly  bodies  was  common 
in  the  East,  and  particularly  in  Chal- 
dea — near  to  \vhich  Job  is  supposed 
to  liave  lived.,  and  it  was  a  remark- 
able fact  that  one  who  was  surround- 
ed with  idolaters  of  this  description 
had  been  enabled  always  to  keep 
hiniselfpure.  The  principle  on  which 
this  worship  was  founded  was, 
probably,  that  of  gratitude.  Men 
adored  the  objects  from  which  they 
derived  important  benetits,  as  well  as 
de[)recated  the  wrath  of  those  which 
were  supposed  to  exert  a  malignant 
influence.  But  among  the  objects 
from  which  men  derived  the  greatest 
benefits  were  the  sun  and  moon,  and 
hence  they  were  objects  of  worship. 
The  stars,  also,  were  supposed  to  ex- 


ert important  influences  over  men, 
and  hence  they  also  early  became 
objects  of  adoration.  An  additional 
reason  for  the  worship  of  the  heaven- 
ly bodies  may  have  been,  that  light  '■ 
was  a  natural  and  striking  symbol  of 
the  divinity,  and  those  shining  bodies 
may  have  been  at  first  honored  as 
representatives  of  the  Deity.  The 
worship  of  the  heavenly  bodies  was 
called  Sabaism,  from  the  Hebrew 
word  f*2S  tzaba — host,  or  army — as 
being  the  worship  of  the  hosts  of 
heaven.  It  is  supposed  to  have  had 
its  origin  in  Persia,  and  to  have  spread 
thence  to  the  West.  That  tlie  moon 
was  worshipped  as  a  deity,  is  abun- 
dantly proved  by  the  testimony  of  the 
ancient  writers.  Hottinger,  Hist. 
Orient.  Lib.  i.  c.  8,  speaking  of  the 
worship  of  the  Zabaists,  adduces  the 
testimony  of  Ali  Said  Vaheb,  saying 
that  the  first  day  of  the  week  was 
devoted  to  the  sun ;  the  second  to 
the  moon  ;  the  third  to  Mars,  etc. 
Maimonides  says  that  the  Zabaists 
worshipped  the  moon,  and  that  the)' 
also  said  that  Adam  led  mankind  to 
that  species  of  worship.  Mor.  Nev. 
P.  iii.  Clemens  Alexandr.  says  (in 
Protrept.)  y.ai  TZiinofy.ivijijav  rjXioi'  ojc; 
Ivdoi,  y.al  oiliji't]}'  o)q  (povyiq.  Curtius 
says  of  the  people  of  Lybia  (Liv.  iv. 
in  Melp.)  (9-i'oiiot  (5?  rj/Jo)  y.ai  neXTji'^ 
/.(ovromi,.  Julius  Cesar  says  of  the 
Germans,  that  they  worshipped  the 
moon.  Lib.  vi.  de  B.  G.  p.  158.  The 
Romans  had  a  temple  consecrated  to 
the  moon.  Taci.  Ann.  Lib.xv.  Livy,  L. 
xl.  See  Geor.  Frid.  Meinhardi  Diss, 
de  Selenolatria,  in  Ugolin's  Thesau. 
Sacr.  Tom.  xxiii.  p.  831,  seq.  Indeed, 
we  have  a  proof  of  the  worship  of 
the  moon  in  our  own  language,  in  the 
name  given  to  the  second  day  of  the 
week — Monday,  i.  e.  Moon-day,  im- 
plying that  it  was  formerly  regarded 
as  devoted  to  the  worship  of  the 
moon.  The  word  "  beheld  "  in  the 
passage  before  us  must  be  understood 
in  an  idolatrous  sense.  "  If  I  have 
looked  upon  the  sun  as  an  object  of 
worship."  Schultens  explains  this 
passage  as  referring  to  splendid  and 
exalted  characters,  who,  on  account 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


121 


27  And  my  heart  hath  been 
secretly  enticed,  or  '  my  mouth 
hath  kissed  my  hajid  ; 

28  This  also  "  ictre  an  iniqui- 
ty to  be  piniishcd  by  the  judge  : 

1  m\f  hand  hath  kissed  my  moutlu    a  De.  17.  2-7. 

of  their  brilliance  and  power,  may  be 
compared  to  the  sun  at  noon-day,  and 
to  the  moon  in  its  brigiitness.  But 
the  more  obvious  and  common  refer- 
ence is  to  the  sun  and  moon  as  ob- 
jects of  worship.  H  Or  the  moon 
2calkinf  in  brightness.  Marg.  bright. 
'The  word  "  walking,"  here  applied 
to  the  moon,  may  refer  either  to  its 
course  through  the  heavens,  or  it  may 
mean,  as  Dr.  Good  supposes,  advanc- 
ing to  her  full ;  "  brightl}^,  or  splen- 
didly progressive."  The  LXX  ren- 
der the  passage  strangely  enough. 
"  Do  we  not  see  the  shining  sun 
eclipsed  .'  and  the  moon  changing  ? 
For  it  is  not  in  them." 

27.  .']ud  mij  heart  hath  been  secretly 
enticed.  That  is,  away  from  God,  or 
led  into  sin.  11  Or  mij  mouth  hath 
kissed  my  hand.  Marg.  viy  hand  hath 
kissed  my  month.  The  margin  ac- 
cords with  the  Hebrew.  It  was  cus- 
tomary in  ancient  worship  to  kiss  the 
idol  that  was  worshipped.  Comp.  1 
Kings  xix.  18,  "  I  have  left  me  seven 
thousand  in  Israel — and  every  mouth 
which  hath  not  kis.sed  him."  See, 
also,  Hos.  xiii.  2.  The  Mohamme- 
dans at  the  present  day,  in  their  wor- 
ship at  Mecca,  kiss  the  black  stone 
which  is  fastened  in  the  corner  of  the 
Beat  Allah,  as  oflen  as  they  pass  it, 
in  going  round  the  Caaba.  If  they 
cannot  come  near  enough  to  kiss  it, 
they  touch  it  with  the  iiand,  and  kiss 
that.  An  Oriental  pays  his  respects 
to  one  of  a  superior  station  by  kiss- 
ing his  hand  and  putting  it  to  his  fore- 
head. Paxton.  See  the  custom  of 
kissing  the  hand  of  a  Prince,  as  it  ex- 
ists in  Arabia,  described  by  Niebuhr, 
Reisebeschreib.  1,  S.  414.  The  cus- 
tom prevailed,  also,  among  the 
Romans  and  Greeks.  Thus  Pliny 
(Hist.  Nat.  xxviii.  2)  says.  Inter  ado- 
andum  dexterfim  ad  osculum  referi- 

VQl,.  II.  6 


for  I  should  have  denied  the  God 
that  is  above. 

29  If  I  rejoiced  at  the  de- 
struction of  him  that  hated  me, 
or  lifted  up  myself  when  evil 
found  him  ; 

mus,  et  totum  corpus  circumagimus. 
So  Lucian  in  the  book,  7if()l  oo/tiiyfox;, 
says,  "And  the  Indians,  rising  early, 
adore  the  sun — not  as  we,  kissiiig  the 
hand — riji'/iloa  y.voavTK; — think  that 
our  vow  is  perfect."  Tlie  foundation 
of  the  custom  here  alluded  to,  is  the 
respect  and  affection  w  hich  is  shown 
for  one  by  kissing  ;  and  as  the  heaven- 
ly bodies  which  were  worshipped 
were  so  remote  that  the  worshippers 
could  not  have  access  to  them,  they 
expressed  their  veneration  by  kissing 
the  hand.  Job  means  to  say,  that  he 
had  never  performed  an  act  of  homage 
to  the  heavenly  bodies. 

28.  This  also  were  nn  iniquity  to 
be  punished  by  the  judge.  Note  ver. 
11.  Among  the  Hebrews  idolatry  was 
an  offence  punishable  by  death  by 
stoning.  Deut.  xvii.  2-7.  It  is  possi- 
ble, also,  that  this  might  have  been 
elsewhere  in  the  patriarchal  times  a 
crime  punishable  in  this  manner.  At 
all  events.  Job  regarded  it  as  a  hein- 
ous offence,  and  one  of  which  the 
magistrate  ought  to  take  cognizance. 
H  For  I  should  have  denied  the  God 
that  is  above.  The  worship  of  the 
heavenly  bodies  would  have  been  in 
fact  the  denial  of  the  existence  of 
any  Superior  Being.  This,  in  fact, 
always  occurs,  for  idolaters  have  no 
knowledge  of  the  true  God. 

29.  If  I  rejoiced  at  the  destruction  of 
him  that  hated  me.  Job  here  intro- 
duces another  class  of  offences,  of 
which  he  says  he  was  innocent.  The 
subject  referred  to  is  the  proper  treat- 
ment of  those  who  injure  us.  In 
respect  to  this,  he  says  that  he  was 
entirely  conscious  of  freedom  from 
exultation  when  calamity  came  upon 
a  foe,  and  that  he  had  never  even 
wished  him  evil  in  his  heart.  The 
word  '■'■  destruction''  here,  means  ca- 
lamity, disappointment,  or   affliction 


123 


JOB. 


30  (Neither  have  I  suffered 
my  '  mouth  to  sin,  "  by  wishing 
a  curse  to  his  soul  ;) 

1  palate.  a  Ec  5.  G. 

of  any  kind.  It  had  never  been 
pleasant  to  him  to  see  one  who  hated 
him  sutTer.  It  is  needless  to  remark 
how  entirely  this  accords  with  the 
New  Testament.  And  it  is  pleasant 
to  find  sucli  a  sentiment  as  this  ex- 
pressed in  the  early  age  of  the  world, 
and  to  see  how  the  influence  of  true 
religion  is  at  all  times  tiie  same.  The 
religion  of  Job  led  him  to  act  out  the 
beautiful  sentiment  afterwards  em- 
bodied in  the  instructions  of  tlie 
Saviour,  and  made  binding  on  all 
his  followers.  Matth.  v.  44.  True 
religion  will  lead  a  man  to  act  out 
what  is  embodied  in  its  precepts, 
whether  tiiey  are  expressed  in  formal 
language  or  not.  H  Or  lifted  up  my- 
self. Been  elated  or  rejoiced.  II 
When  evil  found  lum.  When  calamity 
overtook  him. 

30.  jYeither  have  I  suffered  my 
mouth.  J\Iarg.  as  in  Hebrew,  palate. 
The  word  is  often  used  for  the  mouth 
in  general,  and  especially  as  the 
organ  of  the  voice — irom  the  use  and 
importance  of  tlie  palate  in  speaking. 

Prov.  viii.  7,  "  For  my  palate  ("'■?n) 
speaketh  truth."  It  is  used  as  the 
organ  of  taste.  Job  xii.  11 ;  comp 
vi~30.  Ps.  cxix.  103.  IT  By  wishing 
a  nir^e  to  his  soul.  It  must  have 
been  an  extraordinary  degree  of  piety 
which  would  permit  a  man  to  say  this 
with  truth,  that  he  had  never  harbor- 
ed a  wish  of  injury  to  an  enemy. 
Few  are  the  men,  probably,  even 
now,  who  could  say  this,  and  who  are 
enabled  to  keep  their  minds  free  from 
fvery  wish  that  calamities  and  woes 
may  overtake  those  who  are  seeking 
their  hurt.  Yet  this  is  tiie  nature  of 
true  religion.  It  controls  the  heart, 
represses  the  angry  and  revengeful 
feelings,  and  creates  in  the  soul  an 
earnest  desire  for  the  liappiness  even 
of  those  who  injure  us. 

31.  If  the  vien  of  my  tabernacle. 
The  men  of  my  tent ;  or   tliose  who 


31  If  the  men  of  my  taberna- 
cle said  not,  Oh  that  we  had  of 
his  flesh  !  we  cannot  be  satis- 
fied. 

dwell  with  me.  The  reference  is 
doubtless  to  those  who  were  in  his 
employ,  and  who,  being  constantly 
with  him,  had  an  opportunity  to  ob- 
serve his  manner  of  life.  On  this 
verse  there  has  been  a  great  variety 
of  exposition,  and  interpreters  are  by 
no  means  agreed  as  to  its  meaning. 
Herder  connects  it  with  the  previous 
verse,  and  renders  it, 

"  No  !  my  tongue  uttered  no  evil  word, 
Nor  any  imprecation  against  liim, 
Wlicn  tlie  men  of  my  lent  said, 
'  O  that  we  had  his  flesh,  it  would  satisfy 
us.'  " 

That  is,  though  he  were  the  bitterest 
enemy  of  my  house,  and  all  were  in 
open  violence.     Noyes  translates  it, 
"  Have  not  tlie  men  of  my  tent  exclaimed, 
'  Who  is  tliere  that  hath  not  been  satisfied 
with  his  meat ."  " 

Umbreit  supposes  that  it  is  designed 
to  celebrate  the  benevolence  of  Job, 
and  that  the  meaning  is,  that  all  his 
companions — the  inmates  of  his  house 
— could  bear  him  witness  that  not  one 
of  the  poor  was  allowed  to  depart 
without  being  satisfied  with  his  hos- 
pitality. They  were  abundantly  fed, 
and  their  wants  supplied.  The  verse 
is  undoubtedly  to  be  regarded  as  con- 
nected, as  Ikenius  supposes,  with  the 
following,  and  is  designed  to  illustrate 
tlie  hospitality  of  Job.  His  object  is 
to  show  that  tliose  who  dwelt  with 
him,  and  who  had  every  opportunity 
of  knowing  all  about  him,  could 
never  say  that  the  stranger  was  not 
hospitably  entertained.  The  phrase, 
"  If  the  men  of  my  tabernacle  said 
not,"  means,  that  a  case  never  occur- 
red in  which  they  could  not  make 
use  of  the  language  wliich  follows, 
they  never  could  say  that  tlie  stranger 
was  not  hospitably  entertained.  IT  Oh 
that  we  had.  The  phrase  'P}'!'""'^  , 
commonly  means,  "  O  that  " — as  the 
Latin  Utinam — implying  a  wish  or 
desire.  See  ch.  xix.  23,  xxxi.  35. 
But  here  the  phrase  seems  to  be  used 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


123 


32  (The    stranger   "  did    not 

a  Is.  51.  7.  He.  13.  2,  1  or,  leay. 

in  tlie  sense  of  '  Who  will  give,  or 
who  will  show  or  furnish'  (comp. 
ch.  xiv.  4)  ;  and  the  sense  is,  '  Who 
will  refer  to  one  instance  in  which 
llie  stranger  has  not  been  hospitably 
entertained  .''  II  Of  his  flesh  .'  ice  can- 
not be  satisfied.  Or,  rather,  '  Who 
will  refer  to  an  instance  in  wliich  it 
can  be  said  that  we  have  not  been 
satisfied  from  his  flesh,  i.  e.  from  his 
table,  or  by  his  hospitality  .''  The 
word  flesh  here  cannot  mean,  as  our 
translation  would  seem  to  imply,  tlie 
flesli  of  Job  himself,  as  if  it  were  to 
be  torn  and  lacerated  with  a  spirit  of 
revenge,  but  that  which  his  table  fur- 
nished by  a  generous  hospitality.  The 
LXX  render  this,  "  If  my  maid-ser- 
vants have  often  said,  O  that  we  had 
some  of  his  flesh  to  eat !  while  I  was 
living  luxuriously."'  For  a  great  va- 
riety of  opinions  on  the  passage,  see 
Schultens  in  loc.  The  above  inter- 
pretation of  Ikenius,  is  the  most  sim- 
ple, natural,  and  obvious  of  any 
Vvhich  liave  been  proposed,  and  is 
adopted  by  Schultens  and  Rosen- 
nuiller. 

32.  The  stranffcr  did  not  lodge  in 
the  street.  This  is  designed  to  illus- 
trate the  sentiment  in  the  previous 
verse,  and  to  express  his  conscious- 
ness that  he  had  showed  the  most 
generous  hospitality.  II  But  I  opened 
my  doors  to  the  traveller.  Marg.  or 
icaij.  The  word  here  used  C^"^^) 
means  properly  way,  path.,  road;  but 
it  also  denotes  those  wlio  travel  on 
such  a  way.  See  ch.  vi.  19,  "  The 
troops  of  Tema  looked,"  Heb.  i'^Ji} 
nn"iX — the  irays,  or  paths  of  Tema  ; 
that  is,  those  who  travelled  in  those 
paths.  Vulgate  here,  ciatori.  Sept., 
"  To  every  one  that  came  " — navrl 
ilOnvTi.  This  was  one  of  the  methods 
of  hospitality — the  central  and  crown- 
ing virtue  among  the  Arabs  to  this 
day,  and  among  the  Orientals  in  all 
ages.  Among  the  boasts  of  hospitality, 
showing  the  place  which  this  virtue 
had  in  their  estimation,  and  the  meth- 


lodge  in  the  street  ;  hut  I  open- 
ed my  doors  to  the  traveller;  ') 

ods  by  which  it  was  practised,  we 
may  refer  to  such  expressions  as  tlie 
following  : — "  I  occupy  the  public 
way  with  my  tent ;"  that  is,  to  every 
traveller  without  distinction,  my  tent 
is  open  and  my  table  is  spread.  "  He 
makes  the  public  path  the  place  for 
the  cords  of  his  tent;"  that  is,  he 
fixed  the  pins  and  cords  of  his  tent  in 
the  midst  of  the  public  highway,  so 
that  every  traveller  might  enter. 
These  examples  are  quoted  by  Schul- 
tens from  the  Hamasa.  Another  beau- 
tiful example  may  be  taken  from  the 
same  collection  of  Arabic  poems.  I 
give  the  Latin  translation  of  Schul- 
tens : 
Q.uam  sffipe  latratum  imitaiiti  viatori,  cui  re- 

sonabat  echo, 
Suscitavi  igneiii,  cujus  lignum  luculentum 
Properusque  surrexi  ad  cum,  ut   proed?;  mini 

loco  esset, 
Pra!   metu   ne   populus   mens   eum    ante   me 

occuparet. 

That  is,  '  How  often  to  the  traveller, 
imitating  the  bark  of  the  dog,  and  the 
echo  of  whose  voice  was  heard,  have 
I  kindled  a  fire,  the  shining  wood  of 
which  I  quick  raised  up  to  him,  as 
one  would  hasten  to  the  prey,  in  fear 
lest  some  one  of  my  own  people 
should  anticipate  me  in  the  privileges 
and  rites  of  hospitality.'  The  allusion 
to  the  imitation  of  the  barking  of  a 
dog  here,  refers  to  the  custom  of 
travellers  at  night,  who  make  liiis 
noise  when  Xhey  need  a  place  of  rest. 
This  sound  is  responded  to  by  the 
dogs  which  watch  around  the  tents 
of  their  masters,  and  the  sound  is  the 
signal  for  a  general  rush  to  sliow  hos- 
pitality to  the  stranger.  Burckhardt, 
speaking  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Houran — the  country  east  of  the 
Jordan,  and  south  of  Damascus,  says, 
"  A  traveller  may  alight  at  an}'  house 
he  pleases  ;  a  mat  will  be  immediate 
ly  spread  for  him,  coffee  made,  and  a 
breakfast  or  dinner  set  before  liim 
In  entering  a  village  it  has  often  hap- 
pened to  me,  that  several  persons 
presented  themselves,  each  begging 
that  I  would  lodge  at  his  house.     It 


124 


JOB. 


33  If  I  covered  iny  trausgres- 
sioiis  '  as  Adam, "  by  hiding  mine 
iniquity  in  my  bosom  ; 

34  (Did  I  fear  a  great  multi- 

1  or,  after  the  manner  of  men. 

is  a  point  of  lionor  with  the  liost  never 
to  receive  the  smallest  return  from  a 
guest.  Besides  the  private  habita- 
tions, which  otter  to  every  traveller  a 
secure  night's  shelter,  there  is  in 
every  village  the  ]\Iedliafe  of  the 
Sheikh,  where  all  strangers  of  decent 
appearance  are  received  and  enter- 
tained. It  is  the  duty  of  the  Sheikh 
to  maintain  this  Medhafe,  which  is 
like  a  tavern,  with  the  ditterence  that 
the  host  himself  pay.s  the  bill.  The 
Sheikh  has  a  public  allowance  to  de- 
fraj'  these  expenses,  and  hence  a  man 
of  the  Ilouran,  intending  to  travel 
about  for  a  fortnight,  never  thinks  of 
putting  a  single  j)ara  in  his  pocket ; 
lie  is  sure  of  being  every  where  well 
received,  and  of  living  better,  per- 
haps, than  at  his  own  home."  Travels 
in  Syria,  pp.  204,  295. 

33.  //'  /  covered  my  tru7isrrressions 
as  Adam.  That  is,  if  I  have  attempt- 
ted  to  hide  or  conceal  them  ;  if,  con- 
scious of  guilt,  I  have  endeavored  to 
cloak  my  sins,  and  to  appear  right- 
eous. There  has  been  great  variety 
of  opinion  about  the  meaning  of  this 
expression.  The  margin  reads  it, 
"  After  the  manner  of  men."  Luther 
renders  it,  "  Have  I  covered  my  wick- 
edness as  a  man  " — Habe  ich  meine 
Schalkheit  wie  ein  Blensch  gedecht. 
Coverdale,  "  Have  I  ever  done  any 
wicked  deed  where  through  I  shamed 
myself  before  men."  Herder,  "Did 
I  hide  ni}'  faults  like  a  meun  man." 
Schultens,  "  If  I  have  covered  my  sin 
as  Adam."  The  Vulgate,  Quasi  ho- 
mo— '  as  a  man.'  The  Sept.,  "  If 
when  I  sinned  unwillingly  (dy.niuyfo)q 
— inadrerteiitli/,  kindest oncdlii)  I  con- 
cealed my  sin."  Noyes,  "  After  the 
manner  of  men."  Umbreit,  Js'tieh 
Mcnsclicnarl — "  After  the  manner  of 
men."  RosenmOller,  .5^- J</«77i.  The 
Clialdae,  ^"J^^,  meaning,  as  Rosen- 
mdller  remarks,  as  Adam  ;  and   the 


tude,  ''  or  did  the  contempt  of 
families  terrify  me,  that  I  kept 
silence,  and  went  not  out  of  the 
door  ? 

a  Ge.  3.  1,  12.  J  E.\.  2.3.  9. 

Sj-riac,  As  men.  The  raeming  may 
either  be,  as  men  are  accustomed  to 
do  when  tliey  commit  a  crime — refer- 
ring to  the  common  practice  of  the 
guilty  to  attempt  to  cloak  their  offen- 
ces, or  to  the  attempt  of  Adam  to 
hide  his  sin  from  his  Maker  alter  the 
fall.  Gen.  iii.  7,  8.  It  is  not  possible 
to  decide  with  certainty  which  is  the 
correct  interpretation,  for  either  will 
accord  with  the  Hebrew.  But  in  fa- 
vor of  the  supposition  that  it  refers  to 
the  effort  of  Adam  to  conceal  his  sin, 
we  may  remark,  (1.)  Tlsat  there  can 
be  little  or  no  doubt  that  that  trans 
action  was  known  to  Job  by  tradi- 
tion. (2.)  It  furnished  him  a  pertijient 
and  striking  illustration  of  the  point 
before  him.  (3.)  The  illustration  is, 
by  supposing  that  it  refers  to  him, 
much  more  striking  than  on  the 
other  supposition.  It  is  true  that 
men  often  attempt  to  conceal  their 
guilt,  and  that  it  ma}^  be  set  down 
as  a  fact  very  general  in  its  cha 
racter  ;  but  still  it  is  not  so  uni 
versal  that  there  are  no  exceptions. 
But  here  was  a  specific  and  well 
kno^vn  case,  and  one  which,  as  it  was 
the  first,  so  it  was  the  most  sad  and 
melancholy  instance  that  had  ever 
occurred  of  an  attempt  to  conceal 
guilt.  It  was  not  an  attempt  to  hidex 
it  from  via/i — for  there  was  tlien  no 
other  man  to  witness  it ;  but  an  at- 
tempt to  hide  it  from  God.  From 
such  an  atteuipt  Job  says  he  was  free. 
II  Bij  hiding  mine  iniquity  in  my  bo- 
som. By  attempting  to  conceal  it  so 
that  others  would  not  know  it.  Adam 
attempted  to  conceal  his  fault  even 
from  God  ;  and  it  is  common  with 
men,  when  thev  have  done  wrong,  to 
endeavor  to  hide  it  from  others. 

34.  Did  I  fear  a  great  multitude. 
Our  translators  have  rendered  this  as 
if  Job  meant  to  say  that  he  had  not 
been   deterred    from   doin<r  what   he 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


125 


35  Oh   that  one  would   hear  |  the  Ahriighty  would  answer  rae, 
me  !   behold,  '  my  desire  is,  that    and    that    mnie    adversary    had 

1  oT,mUi-i'rnUth!\lthc^!mi!rhtiiwillavsu:erme.      Written   a   DOOlC  : 

supposed   was   right    b}'   the    fear   of 
others  ;  as  it"  lie  had  been  independ- 
ent, and  liad  done  what  he  knew  to 
I)e  right,   undeterred   by   tiie   fear  of 
[jupiihir  fury,  or  the  loss  of  tlie  favor 
of  the  great.     This  version  is  adopted 
also  by  the  Vulgate,  by   Herder,  and 
substantially   by  Coverdale  and  Lu- 
ther.      Another    interpretation    has, 
however,    been     proposed,    and     is 
ailopted   bv  Schultens,  Noyes,  Good, 
Umbreit,  Dathe,  and  Scott,  which  is, 
that  tliis  is  to  be  regarded   as  an  im- 
precation, or  that  this  is  the  punish- 
ment which  he  invoked  and  expected 
if  he  had   been  guilty  of  the   crime 
wliich   is   specified    in    the   previous 
verses.     The    meaning    t'.ien    would 
be,  '  Then  let  me  lie  confounded  be- 
fore  the   great   multitude  !     Let   the 
contempt  of  families  cover  me  with 
shame  !     Let  me   keep  silence,   and 
lot  me  never  appear  abroad  !'     The 
Hebrew  will  admit  of  either  construc- 
tion, and  either  of  tliem  will   accord 
well  wiili  the  connection.    The  latter, 
however,  regarding  it  as  an  impreca- 
tion, seems  to  me  to  be  preferalile,  for 
tu'o  reasons.     (L)  It  will  accord  more 
forcibly  with  what  he  had  said  in  the 
previous    verse.       The    sense    then 
would   be,  as  expressed   by  Patrick, 
"  If  I   have  studied  to  appear  better 
than  I  am,  and  have  not  made  a  free 
confession,  but,  like  our  first  parent, 
have  concealed  or  excused  my  faults, 
and,   out   of  self-love,    have    hidden 
."nine  iniquity,  because  I  dread  what 
the  people  will  say  of  me,  or  am  ter- 
rified bv  the  contempt  into  which  the 
knowledge  of  my  guilt  will  bring  me 
with  the  neighboring  families,  then 
am    I   content  my   mouth   should   be 
stopped,  and  that  I  never  stir  out  of 
my  door  any  more."     (2.)   This  inter- 
pretation   seems    to    be    required,  in 
Older  to  make  a  proper  close  of  his 
ri^marks.     The  general  course  in  this 
chapter   has  been   to   specify   an   of- 
fence, and   then  to  utter  an   impreca- 
tion if  he  had  been  guilty  of  it.     In 


the  previous  verses  he  had  specified 
crimes  of  which  he  had  declared  iiim- 
self  innocent ;  but  unless   this  verse 
be  so  regarded,  there  is  no  invocation 
of  any  corresponding  punishment   if 
he  had  been  guilty.     It  seems  proba- 
ble, therefore,  that  this  verse  is  so  to 
be  regarded.     According  to  this,  tlie 
phrase  '  Did  I  fear  a  great  multitude  ' 
means,  '  Then  let  me  be  terrified  by 
a  multitude — by   the  opinions  of  the 
world,  and  let  this  be  the  punishment 
of  my  sin.      Since  by  the  fear  of  oth- 
j  ers  I  was  led  to  hide  my  sin  in  my 
bosom,  let   it  be  my  lot   to  lose   all 
[  popular  favor,  and  feel  that  I  am  the 
object  of  public  scorn  and  contempt  !' 
IT  Or  did  the  contempt  offumilies  ter- 
rify inc.     Let  the  contempt  of  fami- 
lies crush   me  ;  let    me    be   despised 
and  abhorred  by  them.     If  I  was  led 
to  hide  sins  in  my  bosom  because  I 
feared  them,  then  let  me  be  doomed 
to  the   total   loss  of  their  favor,  and 
become   wholly   the   object  of  their 
scorn.     IT  That  I  kept  s'Aence.     Or  let 
me   keep   silence   as    a    punishment. 
That  is,  let   me  not  be  admitted  as  a 
counsellor,  or  allowed  to  express  my 
sentiments  in   the  public  assemblies. 
Tl  .^nd  went  not  out  at  the  door.     That 
is,   'Let  me  not  go  out  at  the  door. 
Let  me  be  confined  to  my  dwelling, 
and  never  be  allowed  to  appear  in  pub- 
lic, to  mingle  in  society,  to  take  part 
in  public  affairs — because  by  the  fear 
of  the  world  I  attempted  to  hide  my 
faults  in  my  bosom.     Such  a  punish- 
ment would  be   appropriate  to  such 
an   offence.     The  retribution    would 
be   no  more   than   a   suitable   recom- 
pense for  such  an  act  of  guilt — and  I 
would  not  shrink  from  it.' 

3.5.  O  that  one  icould  hear  me  ! 
This  refers  undoubtedly  to  God.  It 
is,  literally,  '  Who  will  give  to  me 
one  hearing  me  ;'  and  the  wish  is 
that  which  he  has  so  often  expressed, 
that  he  might  get  his  cause  fairly  be- 
fore God.  He  feels  assured  that 
there  would  be  a  favorable  verdict,  if 


126 


JOB. 


36  Surely  I  would  take  it  up- 
on my  shoulder,  and  bind  it-«s 


tliere  could  be  a  fair  judicial  investi- 
gation. Comp.  Notes  on  cii.  xiii.  3. 
TT  Behold,  my  desire  is.  Marg.  '  Or, 
rmj  sign  is  that  the  Ahnightij  icill  an- 
swer me.'  The  word  rendered  in  the 
text  desire,  and  in  the  margin  sign, 
C^Pl,  Tdv),  means  properly  a  mark,  or 
sign,  and  is  also  tlie  name  of  the  last 
letter  of  the  Hebrew  alphabet.  Then 
the  word  means,  according  to  Gese- 
nius  (Lex.),  a  mark,  or  cross,  as  sub- 
scribed to  a  bill  of  complaint ;  hence 
the  bill  itself,  or,  as  we  should  sa}^, 
the  pleading.  According  to  this.  Job 
means  to  say  that  he  was  ready  for 
trial,  and  that  there  was  his  hill  of 
complaint,  or  his  pleading,  or  his  bill 
of  defence.  So  Herder  renders  it, 
"  See  my  defence."  Coverdale,  "  Lo, 
this  is  my  cause."  JMiss  Smith  ren- 
ders it,  "Behold  my  gage!"  Um- 
breit,  Meinel  Kagschrift — My  accusa- 
tion. There  can  be  no  doubt  that  it 
refers  to  the  forms  of  a  judicial  inves- 
tigation, and  tliat  the  idea  is,  tliat 
Job  was  ready  for  the  trial.  '  Here,' 
says  he,  '  is  my  defence,  my  argu- 
ment, my  pleading,  my  bill  !  I  wait 
that  my  adversary  should  come  to 
the  trial.'  The  name  here  used  as 
given  to  the  bill  or  pleading  (1t^,  Tdv, 
mark,  or  sigyi),  probably  had  its  ori- 
gin from  the  fact  that  some  mark  was 
affixed  to  it — of  some  such  signifi- 
cance as  a  seal — by  wliich  it  was  cer- 
tified to  be  the  real  bill  of  the  party, 
and  by  which  he  acknowledged  it  as 
his  own.  This  might  have  been  done 
by  signing  his  name,  or  by  some  con- 
ventional mark  that  was  common  in 
those  times.  H  That  the  Mmighty 
would  ansiccr  me.  That  is,  answer 
ine  as  on  trial  ;  that  the  cause  might 
be  iairlv  lirouglit  to  an  issue.  This 
wish  he  had  frequently  expressed. 
IT  Jlnd  that  viine  adversary.  God  ; 
regarded  as  the  opposite  party  in  the 
suit.  IT  Had  written  a  hook.  Or, 
would  write  down  his  charge.  The 
wish  is,  that  what  God  had  against 
him  were  in  like  manner  entered  in 


a  crown  to  me. 

37  I  would  declare  unto  him 

a  bill,  or  pleading,  that  the  charge 
might  be  fairly  investigated.  On  the 
word  hook,  comp.  Notes  ch.  xix.  23. 
It  means  here  a  pleading  in  court,  a 
bill,  or  charge  against  any  one. 
There  is  no  irreverence  in  the  lan- 
guage here.  Job  is  anxious  that  his 
true  cliaracter  should  be  investigated, 
and  that  the  great  matter  at  issue 
should  be  determined  ;  and  he  draws 
his  language  and  illustrations  from 
well-known  practices  in  courts  of 
law. 

36.  Surely,  Iicoiild  take  it  vponmy 
shoulder.  That  is,  the  book  or  bill 
which  the  Almighty  would  write  in 
the  case.  Job  says  that  he  has  such 
confidence  that  what  God  would  re- 
cord in  his  case  would  be  in  his  fiivor, 
such  confidence  that  he  hnd  no  charge 
of  hypocrisv  against  him,  and  tiiat  he 
who  knew  liim  altogether  would  not 
bring  such  an  accusation  against  him, 
tliat  he  would  bear  it  ofii" triumphantly 
on  his  shoulders.  It  would  be  all 
that  he  could  desire.  This  does  not 
refer  to  what  a  judge  would  decide, 
if  the  cause  were  submitted  to  him, 
but  to  a  case  where  an  opponent  or 
adversary  in  court  should  bring  all 
that  he  could  say  against  him.  He 
says  that  he  would  bear  even  such  a 
bill  on  his  shoulders  in  triumph,  and 
that  it  would  be  a  full  vindication  of 
his  innocence.  It  would  aff'ord  liim 
the  best  vindication  of  his  character, 
and  would  be  that  which  he  had  long 
desired.  IT  And  hind  it  as  a  croion  to 
me.  I  would  regard  it  as  an  orna- 
ment— a  diadem.  I  would  bind  it  on 
my  head  as  a  crown  is  worn  by  prin- 
ces, and  would  march  forth  exult- 
ingly   with   it.     Instead  of  covering 

me  with  shame,  it  would  be  the  'l 
source  of  rejoicing,  and  I  would  ex-  I 
hibit  it  every  where  in  the  most  tri- 
umphant manner.  It  is  impossible 
for  any  one  to  express  a  more  entire 
consciousness  of  innocence  from 
charges  alleged  against  him,  than 
Job  does  by  this  language. 

37.  /  would  declare  unto  him  tha 


CllAl'TEll  XXXI. 


127 


the  number  of  my  steps  ;  as  a 
prince  would  I  go  near  unto 
hiin.) 

1  weep, 

vumber  of  my  steps.  That  is,  I  would 
tlisrlose  to  him  the  whole  course  of 
my  life.  This  is  language  also  appro- 
priate to  a  judicial  trial,  and  the  mean- 
ing is,  that  Job  was  so  confident  of 
his  integrity  that  he  would  approach 
(lod  and  make  his  whole  course  of 
life  known  to  him.  V  Jis  a  prince 
tcoiild  J  go  near  unto  him.  With  the 
firm  and  upright  step  with  which  a 
prince  commonly  walks.  I  would 
not  go  in  a  base,  cringing  manner,  but 
in  a  manner  that  evinced  a  conscious- 
ness of  integrity.  I  would  not  go 
bowed  down  under  the  consciousness 
of  guilt,  as  a  self-condemned  male- 
factor, but  with  the  firm  and  elastic 
foot-tread  of  one  conscious  of  inno- 
cence. It  must  be  remembered  that 
all  this  is  said  with  reference  to  the 
charges  which  had  been  brought 
against  him  bj'  his  friends,  and  not 
as  claiming  absolute  perfection.  He 
was  accused  of  gross  hypocrisy,  and 
it  was  maintained  that  he  was  suffer- 
ing the  judicial  infliction  of  Heaven 
on  account  of  that.  So  fur  as  those 
charges  iccre  concerned,  he  now  says 
that  he  could  go  before  God  with  the 
firm  and  elastic  tread  of  a  prince — 
with  entire  cheerfulness  and  bold- 
ness. We  are  not,  however,  to  sup- 
po.se  that  he  did  not  regard  himself 
as  having  the  common  infirmities  and 
sinfulness  of  our  fallen  nature.  The 
discussion  does  not  turn  at  all  on  that 
point. 

38.  If  m,y  land  cry  against  me. 
This  is  a  new  specification  of  an  of- 
fence, and  an  imprecation  of  an  appro- 
priate punishment  if  he  had  been 
guiltv  of  it.  Many  have  supposed 
that  these  closing  verses  have  been 
liansferred  from  their  appropriate 
place  by  an  error  of  transcribers,  and 
that  they  should  have  been  inserted 
between  vs.  23  and  24 — or  in  some 
previous  part  of  the  chapter.  It  is 
crtain  that  vs.  35-37  would  make 
Ln  a^Dropriate  and  impressive  close 


3S  If  my  land  cry  against  me, 
or  that  the  furrows  likewise 
thereof '  complain  ; 


of  the  chapter,  being  a  solemn  appeal 
to  God  in  reference  to  all  the  specifi- 
cations, or  to  the  general  tenor  of  his 
life  ;  but  there  is  no  authority  from 
the  MSS.  to  make  any  change  in  the 
present  arrangement.  All  the  ancient 
versions  insert  the  verses  in  the  place 
which  they  now  occupy,  and  in  this 
all  versions  agree  except,  according 
to  Kennicott,  the  Teutonic  version, 
where  they  are  inserted  after  ver.  25. 
All  the  MSS.  also  concur  in  the  pre- 
sent arrangement.  Schultens  sup- 
poses that  there  is  manifest  pertinen- 
cy and  propriety  in  the  present 
arrangement.  The  former  specifica- 
tions, says  he,  related  mainly  to  his 
private  life,  this  to  his  more  public 
conduct ;  and  the  design  is  to  vindi- 
cate himself  from  the  charge  of  injus- 
tice and  crime  in  both  respects,  closing 
appropriately  with  the  latter.  Rosen- 
mQller  remarks,  that  in  a  composition 
composed  in  an  age  and  country  so 
remote  as  this,  we  are  not  to  look  for 
or  demand  the  observance  of  the 
same  regularity  which  is  required  by 
the  modern  canons  of  criticism.  At 
all  events,  there  is  no  authority  for 
changing  the  present  arrangement  of 
the  text.  The  meaning  of  the  phrase 
'  if  my  land  cry  out  against  me  '  is, 
that  in  the  cultivation  of  his  land  he 
had  not  been  guilty  of  injustice.  He 
had  not  employed  those  to  till  it  who 
had  been  compelled  to  do  it,  nor  had 
he  imposed  on  them  unreasonable 
burdens,  nor  had  he  defrauded  them 
of  their  wages.  The  land  had  not 
had  occasion  to  cry  out  against  him 
to  God  because  fraud  or  injustice  had 
been  done  to  any  in  its  cultivation. 
Comp.  Gen.  iv.  10.  Hah.  ii.  11.  H  Or 
that  the  furrows  likeu-ise  thereof  com,- 
plain.  Marg.  weep.  The  Hebrew 
is,  '  If  the  furrows  weep  together,*  or 
'in  like  manner  weep.'  This  is  a 
beautiful  image.  The  very  furrows 
in  the  field  are  personified  as  weeping 
on  account  of  injustice  which  would 


128 


JOB. 


39  If  I  have  eaten  the  '  fruits 
thereof  without  money,  or  have 
caused  •  the  owners  thereof  to 
lose  their  life  ;  " 

1  gtrenirth,     9  or,  the  soul  of  the  owners  thereof 
to  expire,  or,  breathe  out. 

be  done  them,  and  of  the  burdens 
which  would  be  laid  on  them,  if  they 
were  compelled  to  contribute  to  op- 
pression and  fraud. 

39.  If  J  have  eaten  the  fruits  thereof. 
Marg.  strength.  The  strength  of  the 
earth  is  that  wliich  the  earth  pro- 
duces, or  which  is  the  result  of  its 
strength.  We  speak  now  of  a  '  strong 
soil ' — meaning  that  it  is  capable  of 
bearing  much.  11  Without  moneij. 
Heb.  'without  silver' — silver  being 
the  principal  circulating  medium  in 
early  times.     The  meaning  here  is, 

'  vi'ithout  paying  for  it ;'  either  with-  i 
out  having  paid  for  the  land,  or  for 
the  labor.  IT  Or  have  caused  the  own- 
ers thereof.  Marg.  tlie  soul  of  the 
owners  thereof  to  expire,  or  breathe 
out.  The  Hebrew  is,  '  If  I  have 
caused  the  life  of  the  owners  [or 
lords]  of  it  to  breathe  out.'  The 
meaning  is,  if  I  have  appropriated  to 
myself  the  land  or  labor  of  others 
without  paying  for  it,  so  that  their 
means  of  living  are  taken  away.  He 
disclaims  all  injustice  in  the  case. 
He  had  not  deprived  others  of  their 
land  by  violence  or  fraud,  so  that 
they  had  no  means  of  subsistence. 

40.  Let  thistles  groio.  Gen.iii.18. 
Thistles  are  valueless  ;  and  Job  is  so 
confident  of  entire  innocence  in  re- 
gard to  this,  that  he  says  he  would 
be  willing,  if  he  were  guilty,  to  have 


40  Let  thistles  grow  instead 

of  wheat,    and   ^cockle  instead 

of  barley.  The  words  of  Job 
are  ended. 

a  1  Ki   21    19.       3  or,  noisome  weeds. 

his  whole  land  overrun  with  noxious 
weeds.  TI  Jl7id  cockle.  Cockle  is 
with  us  a  well  known  herb  that  gets 
into  wheat  or  other  grain.  It  has  a 
bluish  flower,  and  small  black  seed, 
and  is  injurious  because  it  tends  to 
discolor  the  flour.  It  is  not  certain 
by  any  means,  however,  that  this  is 
intended  here.  Tlie  margin  is,  noi- 
some iceeds.  The  Hebrew  word 
(ndN3)  is  from  ^3X2,  Badsh,  to  have 
a  bad  smell,  to  stink,  and  was  given 
to  the  weed  here  referred  to  on  that 
account.  Comp.  Isa.  xxxiv.  3.  The 
cockle,  however,  has  no  unpleasant 
odor,  and  the  word  here  probably 
means  noxious  weeds.  So  it  is  ren- 
dered by  Herder  and  by  Noyes.  The 
Sept.  has  ^jdrnq,  bramble  ;  the  Vulg., 
spina,  thorn  ;  Prof.  Lee,  prunus  syl- 
vestris,  "  a  bramble  resembling  the 
hawthorn ;"  Schultens,  labrusca,wild 
virie.  IT  The  words  of  Job  are  ended. 
That  is,  in  the  present  speech  or 
argument ;  his  discussions  with  his 
friends  are  closed.  He  spoke  after- 
wards, as  recorded  in  the  subsequent 
chapters,  but  not  in  controversy  with 
them.  He  had  vindicated  his  char- 
acter, sustained  his  positions,  and 
they  had  nothing  to  reply.  The 
remainder  of  the  book  is  occupied 
mainly  with  the  speech  of  Elihu, 
and  with  the  solemn  and  sublime 
address  which  God  himself  makes. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

OENERAL  ANALYSIS  OF  THE   SPEECH  OF  ELIHU CHS.  XXXII.-XXXVII, 


This  chapter  commences  the  speech  of  Elihu,  which  is  continued  to  the  close  of  ch.  xxxvii. 
He  has  not  appeared  before  in  the  controversy,  and  his  name  is  not  mentioned  as  having;  been 
present,  though  it  is  evident,  from  the  tenor  of  his  own  remarks,  that  he  had  heard  what  had 
been  said.  Nothing  more  is  known  of  Ihis  new  character  than  is  here  expressed.  Whether  lie 
came  with  the  others  to  condole  with  Job  (ch.  ii.  11,  12),  or  whetlier  he  was  his  personal  friend, 
and  had  been  with  him  through  all  his  trials,  or  whether  he  was  one  who  accidentally  happened 
to  be  present  at  this  discussion,  is  not  intimated.  The  remarkable  sufferings  of  a  man  who 
had  been  so  prominent  as  Job,  would  undoubtedly  excite  considerable  attention  ;  and  it  ia  no 
unreasonable  supposition  that  many  persons  may  have  been  attracted  by  the  controversy  that 
was  maintained  between  him  and  his  friends.  But  nothing  more  is  known  of  Elihu  than  is 
specified  in  this  chapter.  See  Notes  on  ver.  2.  He  is  a  young  man,  who  had  been  restrained 
by  modesty  thus  f;ir  from  expressing  his  opinion,  but  who  had  listened  attentively  to  all  that 
had  been  said.  An  opportunity  is  now  presented  for  his  speaking  when  he  could  not  be  charged 
with  impertinence,  or  with  disrespect  to  his  superiors  in  age,  if  he  expressed  his  opinion.  The 
three  friends  of  Job  had  been  completely  silenced.  The  last  speech,  of  Bildad  (cli.  xxv.)  had 
contained  only  a  few  very  brief  general  reflections,  which  had  nothing  to  do  ^Ttli  the  subject 
in  dispute,  and  Zophar,  whose  turn  would  have  been  next,  had  not  even  attempted  to  reply. 
Eliphaz,  of  course  — such  were  the  notions  of  courtesy  which  prevailed  in  the  East — would  not 
presume  to  speak  out  of  his  regular  turn.  Job  had  waited  for  thern  to  speak  in  their  turn  (ch. 
xxix.  1),  and  as  they  had  not  done  it,  he  had  gone  on  and  made  a  full  vindication  of  his  life. 
He  had  no  more  which  he  wished  to  say,  and  so  far  as  the  original  disputants  were  concerned, 
the  controversy  was  ended. 

At  this  stage  of  the  argument,  it  was  not  improper  for  Elihu,  though  comparatively  a  youth, 
to  speak.  The  reasons  which  he  had  for  speaking,  ho  himself  states.  They  are,  (1.)  Because 
Job  had,  as  he  supposed,  justified  himself  rather  than  God,  ch.  xxxii.  2.  He  had  indulged  in 
severe  reflections  on  the  divine  dealings  ;  liad  dwelt  improperly  on  his  own  integrity,  and  had 
been  unwilling  to  confess  that  he  was  a  sinner.  Whatever  blame  there  was,  he  apprehended 
Job  was  disposed  to  cast  on  his  Maker ;  and  Elihu  interposes,  theretbre,  to  state  the  truth  on 
the  subject,  and  to  vindicate  the  character  of  God.  (2.)  The  three  friends  of  Job  had  been 
equally  to  blame.  They  had  in  no  measured  terms  condemned  Job,  and  yet  they  hail  made  no 
answer  to  what  he  had  said,  ch.  xxxii.  3.  They  pertinaciously  held  to  their  opinion  that  he  was 
an  eminently  wicked  man  ;  that  all  these  judgments  had  come  on  him  for  his  sins  ;  and  yet  they 
had  not  specified  his  faults,  nor  had  they  replied  to  what  he  had  said  in  self-defence.  In  such 
a  state  of  things,  this  youthful  bystander  and  observer  of  the  controversy  interposes.  Ilis  mind 
was  greatly  excited.  He  could  contjin  himself  (ver.  19)  no  longer.  Both  parties  he  regarded 
as  wrong  ;  both  as  deserving  rebuke  ;  and  both  as  ignorant  of  the  truth  in  the  case.  He  appears, 
therefore,  net  as  the  advocate  of  either,  but  prof;sses  to  come  in  as  a  sort  of  arbiter,  to  take 
the  place  of  God  (ch.  xxxiii.  6),  and  to  state  what  was  the  truth.  Yet  he  does  not  settle  the 
whole  controversy.  So  far  as  the  book  of  Job  may  be  regarded  as  a  poem,  the  design  of  its 
composer  a(ipears  to  have  been,  to  introduce  Elihu  partly  to  show  the  necessity  of  the  divine 
interposition,  and  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  sublime  introduction  of  God  himself  in  the  close 
of  the  book.  It  is  God  who  ultimately  determines  the  difficult  controversy,  ami  who  appears  to 
state  the  exact  truth  in  the  case.  The  introduction  of  Elihu  contributes  much  to  the  beauty 
and  variety  of  the  poem,  and  at  tlie  same  time  it  accords  with  the  design  of  the  author.  The 
remarks  of  BuaUUcr  on  this  point  are  worthy  of  attention<  "The  three  men,  driven  on  by  a 
rash  and  inconsiderate  impulse,  attacked  the  character  of  a  most  upright  man,  not  only  l)y  cruel 
suspicions,  but  by  skilful  criminatioMS,  with  little  discrimination  in  regard  to  the  truth.  A 
fourth  actor  is  introduced,  superior  in  wisdom  to  the  others,  who,  by  a  new  and  more  cautious 
method,  undertakes  to  unravel  the  difficulty  in  regard  to  Job.  Those  things  were  indubitable 
which  he  taught,  that  there  was  no  one  among  men  who  was  so  perfect  that  he  did  not  offend 
against  the  laws  of  God  ;  that  there  was  no  one  who,  trusting  to  his  own  innocence,  could 
affirm  that  he  was  not  obnoxious  to  the  divine  displeasure,  or  that  the  calamities  which  he 
suffered  were  undeserved.  Job  would  not  have  reason  for  complainin.^,  if  the  exact  truth  in 
regard  to  him  were  known,  and  his  affairs  accurately  weighed  in  a  balance.  Eliliu,  therefore, 
did  not  err  in  thus  thinking,  as  he  was  not  afterwards  accused  of  fault.  Yet  in  his  own  opinion 
or  view  he  erred,  for  such  was  not  the  cause  of  the  calamities  of  Job,  as  the  beginning  of  his 
history  shows.  Elihu  in  fact  did  not  err  less  than  the  others  in  his  view,  although  he  adduced 
a  more  probable  conjecture,  and  sustained  it  by  a  true  doctrine,  that  by  this  the  great  purpose 
of  the  author  of  this  book  might  he  accomi)lisheil,  to  wit,  to  show  how  little  men  can  look  into 
the  secret  reasons  of  divine  Providence,  in  which  they  can  with  more  safety  acquiesce,  than 
curiously  to  inquire  into  them."     See  Roscnmiiller,  Intro,  to  the  chapter.     Elihu  professes 


130 


JOB. 


entire  impartiality.  He  speaks  only  because  lie  feels  constrained  to  do  it,  and  because  such 
eentiiiionts  have  been  advanced  that  ho  can  no  longer  keep  silence.  He  says  that  lie  will  not 
ho  intlUenccd  by  respect  to  any  man's  person  ;  be  will  attempt  to  flatter  no  one  ;  he  will  speak 
wholly  in  the  fear  of  God.  After  the  introduction  incb.xxxii.,  he  reproves  Job  because  he  had 
claimed  too  much  for  himself,  and  had  indulged  in  a  spirit  of  complaining  against  God.  He  goes 
on  to  say,  that  it  is  not  necessary  for  God  to  develop  all  his  counsels  and  purposes  to  men  ;  that 
he  often  speaks  in  visions  of  the  night ;  and  that  the  great  purpose  of  his  dealings  is  to  take  away 
pride  from  man,  and  to  produce  true  humility.  This  he  does  also  by  the  dispensations  of  hia 
providence,  and  by  the  calamities  with  which  he  visits  his  people.  Yet  he  says,  if  when  man 
is  afflicted  he  will  be  truly  penitent,  God  will  have  mercy,  and  restore  his  flesh,  so  that  it  will 
be  fresher  than  that  of  an  infant.  The  true  secret,  therefore,  of  the  divine  dis]>ensations, 
according  to  Elihu,  the  principle  on  which  he,  explains  all,  is,  that  afflictions  are  disciplinary, 
or  are  designed  tojiroduce  humility  and  penitence  They  are  not  absolute  proof  of  enormous 
wickedness  and  hypocrisy,  as  the  friends  of  Job  had  maintained  ;  nor  could  one  in  affliction  lay 
claim  to  freedom  ftoiii  sin,  or  blame  God,  as  ho  understood  Job  to  have  done,  ch.  xxxiii.  Ho 
next  reproves  Job  for  evincing  a  proud  spirit  of  scorning,  and  especially  for  having  maintained 
that,  according  to  th^  divine  dealings  -.vith  liim,  it  would  be  no  advantage  to  a  man  to  be  pious, 
and  to  delight  himself  in  God.  Such  an  opinion  implied  that  God  was  severe  and  wrong  in  his 
dealings.  'J'o  meet  this,  Elihu  brings  forward  a  variety  of  considerations  to  show  the  impropriety 
of  remarks  of  this  kind,  and  especially  to  prove  that  the  Governor  of  the  world  can  do  nothing 
inconsistent  with  benevolence  and  justice.  From  these  considerations  he  infers  that  the  duty 
of  one  in  the  situation  of  Job  was  plain.  It  was,  to  admit  the  possibility  that  lie  had  sinned, 
and  to  resolve  that  he  would  offend  no  more,  ch.  xxxiv.  He  then  proceeds  to  consider  the 
opinion  of  Job,  that  under  the  arrangements  of  divine  Providence  there  could  be  no 
advantage  in  being  righteous  ;  that  the  good  were  subjected  to  so  many  calamities,  that  nothing 
was  gained  by  all  their  efibrts  to  be  holy  ;  and  that  there  was  no  profit  though  a  man  were 
cleansed  from  sin,  ch.  xxxv.  3.  To  this  Elihu  replies,  hy  showing  that  God  is  supreme  ;  that 
the  character  of  man  cannot  profit  him  ;  that  he  is  governed  by  other  considerations  in  his 
dealings  than  tliat  man  has  a  claim  on  him  ;  and  that  there  are  gre.at  and  important  considerations 
which  lead  him  to  the  course  which  he  takes  with  men,  and  that  to  complain  of  these  is  proot 
of  rebellion,  ch.  xxxv.  Elihu  tlien  closes  his  address  hy  stating  (I,)  the  tiue  principles  of  tha 
divine  administration,  as  he  understood  them,  ch.  xxxvi.,  and  (2,)  by  saying  that  there  is  much 
in  the  divine  government  which  is  inscrutable,  but  that  there  are  such  evidences  of  greatness 
and  wisdom  in  his  government,  there  are  so  many  things  in  the  works  of  nature  and  in  the 
course  of  events  which  we  cannot  understand,  tliat  we  should  submit  to  his  superior  wisdom, 
ch.  xxxvii.     See  the  Analyses  to  those  chapters. 


ANALYSIS    OF    CHAPTER    XXXII. 


The  chapter  before  us  (xxxii.)  is  occupied  mainly  with  a  statement  of  the  reasons  which 
induced  Elihu  to  speak  at  all.  The  first  six  verses  are  prose  ;  the  remainder,  as  well  as  the 
whole  of  the  following  chapters,  consists  of  poetry.  In  vs.  1-C  an  account  is  given  of  Elihu, 
and  of  his  excited  feelings  when  the  three  friends  of  Job  ceased  to  answer  him.  In  ver.  6  he 
himself  speaks :  he  says  that  he  was  comparatively  young,  and  that  he  knew  that  it  was  more 
appropriate  that  age  should  speak,  vs.  G,  7.  Yet  he  says  that  he  felt  himself  irresistibly  urged 
to  declare  his  views,  ver.  8.  Great  as  was  the  rospeci  due  to  age  and  rank,  yet  even  aged  men 
were  not  always  wise,  and  might  err,  and  he  was  therefore  emboldened  to  declare  his  sentiments, 
vs.  9,  10.  He  says  that  ho  had  carefully  attend  h1  to  all  that  thoy  had  said,  and  that  he  had 
discovered  that  the  throe  fiiends  of  Joli  had  been  perfectly  silenced,  vs.  11-13.  It  was  incumbent 
on  them,  he  says,  to  have  replied  to  Job,  rather  than  to  have  left  the  task  to  him,  for  the  words 
of  Jo'i  had  not  been  directed  against  him,  but  them,  ver.  14  ;  but  since  thoy  did  not  answer,  he 
felt  himself  called  upon  to  show  his  opinion,  vs.  15-17.  It  would  be  a  relief  to  him  to  be 
allowed  to  speak,  for  he  was  full  of  the  subject — like  fermenting  wine  in  new  bottles,  vs.  18-20. 
He  promises  that  his  opinion  shall  lie  dolivrred  with  entire  imjiartiality,  and  without  respect  to 
any  man's  person,  and  with  no  disposition  to  Hatter,  vs.  21,  22. 


QO  these  three  men  ceased  '  to 

1  from  answering 

1 .  So  these  three  men  ceased  to  an- 
swer Job.  Each  lia.l  had  three  oppor- 
tunities of  replying  to  liim,  though  in 
tlie  last  series  of  tlie  controversy  Zo- 
phar  had  been  silent.     Now  all  were 


answer    Job,    because    he    was 
righteous  in  his  own  eyes. 

silent;  and   though   they  do  not  ap- 
pear in   the  least   to  have  been   con        j 
vinced,    or    to    have    changed     their      I 
opinion,  yet  they  found  no  argunientg     } 
with    whicli    to   sustain   their  views. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


131 


2  Then  was  kindled  tlie  wrath 
of  Elihu  the  son  of  Earachel  the 
Buzite,  of  the  kindred  of  Kam  ; 

1  his  soul. 

It  was  this,  among  other  things,  which 
induced  EUliu  to  take  up  tlie  subject. 
IT  Because  he  was  righteous  in  his 
own  eyrs.  Unibreit  expresses  the 
sense  of  this  by  adding,  '  and  they 
could  not  convince  him  of  his  un- 
righteousness.' It  was  not  merihj 
because  lie  was  righteous  in  his  own 
estimation,  that  they  ceased  to  an- 
swer liim  ;  it  was  because  their  argu- 
ments had  no  effect  in  convincing 
him,  and  they  had  nothing  new  to 
say.  He  seemed  to  be  obstinately- 
bent  on  maintaining  his  own  good 
opinion  of  himself  in  spite  of  all  their 
reasoning,  and  they  sat  down  in  si- 
lence. 

2.  Then  icas  kindlad  the  wrath. 
Wrath  or  anger  is  commonly  repre- 
sented as  kindled,  or  as  burning.  IT 
Of  Elihu.  The  name  Elihu  (J<'lln"'^N) 
means,  '  God  is  he  ;'  or,  as  the  word 
He  (^^i^)  is  often  used  by  way  of 
eminence  to  denote  the  true  God  or 
Jehovah,  the  name  is  equivalent  to 
saying,  '  God  is  my  God,'  or  '  my 
God  is  Jehovah.'  On  what  account 
this  name  was  given  to  him,  is  now 
unknown.  The  names  which  were 
anciently  given,  however,  were  com- 
monly significant,  and  it  was  not  un- 
usual to  incorporate  the  name  of  God 
in  those  given  to  men.  See  Notes, 
Isa.  i.  1.  This  name  was  probably 
given  as  an  expression  of  piety  on 
the  part  of  his  parents.  IT  The  son 
of  Barachel.  The  name  Barachel 
(?X3"13)  means  '  God  blesses,'  and 
was  also  probably  given  as  expressive 
of  the  piety  of  his  parents,  and  as 
furnishing  in  the  name  itself  a  valu- 
able motto  which  the  child  would 
remember.  Nothing  more  is  known 
of  him  than  the  name  ;  and  the  only 

f»ropriety  of  remarking  on  the  philo- 
ogy  of  the  names  arises  from  the 
fact  that  they  seem  to  indicate  the 
existence  of  piety,  or  of  the  know- 
ledge of  God,  on  the  part  of  the  an- 


against  Job  was  his  wrath  kin- 
dled, because  he  'justified  him- 
self, rather  than  God. 


cestors  oi' Elihu.  IT  The  Buzite.  Buz 
was  the  second  son  of  Nahor,  the 
brother  of  Abraham,  Gen.  xxii.  20, 
21.  A  city  of  the  name  Buz  is  men- 
tioned in  Jer.  xxv.  23,  in  connection 
with  Dedan  and  Tenia,  cities  of  Ara- 
bia, and  it  is  probable  that  Barachel, 
the  father  of  Elihu,  was  of  that  city. 
If  this  name  was  given  to  the  place 
after  the  son  of  Nahor,  it  will  follovir 
that  Eliliu,  and  consequently  Job, 
must  have  lived  after  the  time  of 
Abraham.  IT  Of  the  kindra]  of  Ram. 
Of  Ram  nothing  is  certainly  known. 
The  Chaldee  renders  this  rC^35  '{O 
^•^"^^^i  of  the  race  of  Mraham 
Some  liave  supposed  that  the  Ram 
here  mentioned  is  the  same  as  the 
ancestor  of  David  mentioned  in  Ruth 
iv.  19,  and  in  the  genealogical  table 
in  IVIatth.  i.  3,  4,  under  the  name  of 
Jlram.  Others  suppose  that  he  was 
of  the  family  of  Nahor,  and  that  the 
name  is  the  same  as  C^X,  Jlram, 
mentioned  in  Gen.  xxii.  21.  Thus, 
by  aphreresis  the  Syrians  are  called 
Q"^53n,  Rammiin,  (2  Chron.  xxii.  5), 
instead  of  D'^52"|;X,  Jlrammim,  as  they 
are  usually  denominated.  Comp.  2 
Kings  viii.  28.  But  nothing  certain 
is  known  of  him  who  is  here  men- 
tioned. It  is  worthy  of  observation 
that  the  autiior  of  the  book  of  Job  has 
given  the  genealogy  of  Elihu  with 
much  greater  particularity  than  he 
has  that  of  either  Job  or  his  three 
friends.  Indeed,  he  has  not  attempt- 
ed to  trace  their  genealogy  at  all.  Oi 
Job  he  does  not  even  mention  the 
name  of  his  father ;  of  his  three 
friends  he  mentions  merely  the  place 
where  they  dwelt.  Rosenmiiller  in- 
fers, from  this  circumstance,  that  Eli- 
hu is  himself  the  author  of  the  book, 
since,  says  lie,  it  is  the  custom  of  tlie 
Turks  and  Persians,  in  their  poems, 
to  weave  in,  near  the  end  of  the  po- 
em, the   name  of  the   author  in   an 


132 


JOB. 


3  Also  against  his  three 
friends  was  his  wrath  kindled, 
because  they  had  found  no  an- 
swer, and  yet  had  eondemned 
Job. 

4  Now  Elihu  had  'waited  till 
Job  had  spoken,  because  they 
were  elder  '"  than  he. 

5  When  Elihu  saw  that  there 

1  expected  Job  in  words.     2  elder  for  days. 

artificial  manner.  The  same  view  is 
taken  by  Liglitfoot,  Clironica  tempo- 
rum,  ct  ord.  Text.  V.  T.  A  circum- 
stance of  tliis  kind,  however,  is  too 
slight  an  argument  to  determine  the 
question  o^"  the  authorship  of  the 
book.  It  may  have  been  that  Elihu 
was  less  knoton  than  either  of  the 
other  speakers,  and  hence  there  was 
a  propriety  in  mentioning  more  par- 
ticularly his  family.  Indeed,  this 
fact  is  morally  certain,  for  he  is  not 
mentioned,  as  the  others  are,  as  the 
'  friend  '  of  Job.  H  Because  he  justi- 
fied himself.  Marg.  his  soul.  So  the 
Hebrew  ;  the  word  l^B.3,  nephesh, 
soul,  being  often  used  to  denote  one's 
self  H  Rather  than  God.  Prof  Lee 
renders  this,  'justified  himself  with 
God ;'  and  so  also  Umbreit,  Good, 
and  some  others.  And  so  the  Vul- 
gate renders  it — coram  Deo.  The 
LXX  render  it,  (vavrlnv  y.votov — 
against  the  Lord  ;  that  is,  rather  than 
the  Lord.  The  proper  translation  of 
the  Hebrew  (S'Tl'^N??)  is  undoubtedly 
viore  than  God;  and  this  was  doubt- 
less the  idea  which  Eliliu  intended  to 
convey.  He  iinderstood  Job  as  vin- 
dicating himself  rather  than  God  ;  as 
being  more  willing  that  aspersions 
should  be  cast  on  the  character  and 
government  of  God,  than  to  confess 
his  own  sin. 

3.  Because  they  had  found  no  an- 
siPer,  and  yet  had  condemned  Job. 
They  held  Job  to  be  guilty,  and  vet 
they  were  unable  to  adduce  the  proof 
of  it,  and  to  reply  to  what  he  had 
said.  They  still  maintained  their 
opinion,  though  silenced  in  the  argu- 
ment.    They   were  in    that  state"  of 


teas  no  answer  in  the  mouth  of 
these  three  men,  then  his  wrath 
was  kindled. 

6  And  Elihu  the  son  of  Bara- 
chel  the  Buzite,  answered  and 
said,  I  am  ^  young,  and  ye  are 
very  old ;  "  wherefore  I  was 
afraid,  and  ''  durst  not  shew  you 
mine  opinion. 

3  few  of  days.        a  c.  15.  10.        4  feared. 

mind  —  not  uncommon  —  in  which 
tliey*  obstinately  held  on  to  an  opin- 
ion which  they  could  not  vindicate, 
and  believed  another  to  be  guilty, 
though  they  could  not  prove  it. 

4.  jXow  Elihu  had  waited.  Marg. 
as  in  Heb.,  expected  Job  in  words. 
Tlie  meaning  is  plain,  that  he  had 
waited  until  all  who  were  older  than 
himself  had  spoken.  H  Because  they 
were  elder  than  he.  Marg.  as  in  Heb., 
elder  for  days.  It  appears  that  they 
were  all  older  than  he  was.  We 
have  no  means  of  determining  their 
respective  ages,  though  it  would  seem 
probable  that  Eliphaz  was  the  oldest 
of  the  three  friends,  as  he  uniformly 
spoke  first. 

G.  .ind  Elihu — said,  I  am  young. 
Marg./e?o  of  days.  The  Hebrew  is, 
'  I  am  small  (""'^ij)  of  days  ;'  that  is, 
I  am  inexperienced.  We  have  no 
means  of  ascertaining  his  exact  age, 
though  it  is  evident  that  there  was  a 
considerable  disparity  between  them 
and  him.  IT  .,1nd  ye  are  very  old. 
Cn^i-^iii'i       Tjjg    ^^.Qj.^    ^^^^    jjgj.g    jg 

probably  derived  from  the  obsolete 
root  ty^^,  to  be  ichitc,  hoary  ;  and 
hence  to  be  hoary-headed,  or  arrcd. 
Comp.  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  17.  Tlie 
whole  of  the  discourses  of  the  friends 
of  Job  seem  to  imply  that  they  were 
aged  men.  They  laid  claim  to  great 
experience,  and  professed  to  have 
had  opportunities  of  long  observation, 
and  it  is  probable  that  they  were  re- 
garded as  sages,  who,  by  the  long 
observation  of  events,  had  acquired 
the  reputation  of  great  wisdom.  U 
Jflirrcfore  I  leas  afraid.  He  was 
timid,  bashful,  diffident.     IT  .'Ind  durst 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


133 


7  I  said,  Days  should  speak, 
and  multitude  of  years  should 
teach  wisdom. 

a  Pr.  20.  27.  b  Pr.  2.  G,  Da.  2.  21. 

nof.  shoiD  you  mine  opinion.  Marg. 
feared,  lie  had  that  diffidence  to 
wliich  modesty  prompts  in  tlie  pres- 
ence of  the  aged.  He  had  formed 
his  opinion  as  the  argument  proceed- 
ed, but  he  did  not  deem  it  proper 
that  one  so  young  sliould  interfere, 
even  when  he  thouglit  lie  perceived 
tliat  others  were  wrong. 

7.  I  said,  Datjs  should  speak.  The 
aged  ought  to  speak.  They  liave 
had  the  advantage  of  long  observa- 
tion of  tlie  course  of  events  ;  they 
arc  acquainted  with  the  sentiments 
of  past  times  ;  they  may  have  had  an 
opportunity  of  conversing  with  dis- 
tinguished sages,  and  it  is  to  tiiem 
that  we  look  up  for  counsel.  This 
was  eminently  in  accordance  with 
the  ancient  Oriental  views  of  what  is 
right  ;  and  it  is  a  sentiment  which 
accords  with  what  is  obviously  pro- 
per, however  little  it  is  regarded  in 
modern  times.  It  is  one  of  the  marks 
of  urbanity  and  true  politeness  ;  of 
the  prevalence  of  good  breeding,  mo- 
rals, and  piety,  and  of  an  advanced 
state  of  society,  when  respect  is 
.shown  to  the  sentiments  of  the  aged,  j 
They  have  had  the  opportunity  of  j 
long  observation.  They  liave  con- 
versed much  with  men.  They  have 
seen  the  results  of  certain  courses  of 
conduct,  and  they  have  arrived  at  a 
period  of  life  when  they  can  look  at 
the  reality  of  things,  and  are  uninflu- 
enced now  by  passion.  Returning 
respect  for  the  sentiments  of  the  aged, 
attention  to  their  counsels,  veneration 
for  tiieir  persons,  and  deference  for 
them  when  they  speak,  would  be  an 
indication  of  advancement  in  society 
in  modern  times  ;  and  there  is  scarce- 
ly any  thing  in  which  we  have  dete- 
riorated from  the  simplicity  of  the 
early  ages,  or  in  which  we  fall  behind 
the  Oriental  world,  so  much  as  in  the 
want  of  this. 

8.  But   there  is    a   spirit  in   •man. 


8  But  there  is  a  spirit  "■  in 
man  :  and  the  inspiration  ^  of 
the  Almighty  giveth  them  under- 
standing. 

This  evidentl)'  refers  to  a  spirit  im- 
parted from  above  ;  a  spirit  from  the 
Almiglity.  The  parallelism  seems 
to  require  this,  for  it  responds  to  the 
phrase  'the  inspiration  of  the  A\- 
mighty  '  in  the  other  hemistich.  The 
Hebrew  expression  here  also  seems 
to  require  this  interpretation.  It  is, 
N^ri  n^"ij  the  Spirit  itself ;  meaning 
the  very  Spirit  that  gives  wisdom,  or 
the  Spirit  of  inspiration.  He  had 
said,  in  the  previous  verse,  that  it 
was  reasonable  to  e.xpect  to  find  wis- 
dom among  the  aged  and  the  expe- 
rienced. But  in  this  he  had  been 
disappointed.  He  now  finds  that 
wisdom  is  not  the  attribute  of  rank 
or  station,  but  that  it  is  the  gift  of 
God,  and  therefore  it  may  be  found 
in  a  youth.  All  true  wisdom,  is  the 
sentiment,  is  from  above;  and  where 
the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty  is,  no 
matter  whether  with  the  aged  or  the 
young,  there  is  understanding.  Eli- 
hu  undoubtedly  means  to  say,  that 
though  he  was  much  younger  than 
the)'  were,  and  though,  according  to 
the  common  estimate  in  wliich  the 
aged  and  the  young  were  held,  he 
might  be  supposed  to  have  much  less 
acquaintance  with  the  subjects  under 
consideration,  yet,  as  all  true  wisdom 
came  from  above,  lie  might  be  quali- 
fied to  speak.  The  word  'spirit' 
here,  therefore,  refers  to  the  spirit 
wfaich  God  gives  ;  and  the  passage 
is  a  proof  that  it  was  an  early  opinion 
that  certain  men  were  under  the 
teachings  of  divine  inspiration.  The 
Chaldee  renders  it  «r>N^3i  nnn,  « 
spirit  of  prophecy.  IT  And  the  inspi- 
ration of  the  Mmightij.  The  '  breath 
ing'  of  the  Almighty— '^'^ a  ^3033 
The  idea  was,  that  God  breathed  this 
into  man,  and  that  this  wisdom  was 
the  breath  of  God.  Comp.  Gen.  ii 
7.  John  XX.  22.  Sept.,  nvoi],  breath., 
brealhiu'r. 


134 


JOB. 


9  Great  "  men  are  not  always 
wise  ;  neither  do  the  aged  un- 
derstand judgment. 

10  Therefore  1  said,  Hearken 
to  me ;  I  also  will  shew  mine 
opinion. 

1 1  Behold,  I  waited  for  your 
words  ;   I  gave  ear  to  your  '  rea- 

a  Mat.  11.25,  1  Co.  1.27. 
1  understandings.  2  w&rds, 

9.  Great  men  are  not  always  icise. 
Though  wisdom  may  in  general  be 
looked  for  in  them,  yet  it  is  not  uni- 
versally true.  Great  men  here  de- 
note those  who  are  distinguished  for 
rank,  age,  authority.  TI  jXeithcr  do 
the  aged  understand  judgment.  That 
is,  they  do  not  ahoays  understand  it. 
The  vf  or  A  judgment  here  means  right, 
truth.  They  do  not  always  under- 
stand what  is  the  exact  truth  in  re- 
gard to  the  divine  administration. 
This  is  an  apology  for  what  he  was 
about  to  saj',  and  for  the  fact  that  one 
so  young  should  speak.  Of  the  truth 
of  what  he  here  said  there  could  be 
no  doubt,  and  hence  there  was  a  pro- 
priety that  one  who  was  young 
should  also  be  allowed  to  express  his 
opinion  on  important  subjects. 

11.  /  gave  ear  to  your  reasons. 
Marg.  understandings.  The  mean- 
ing is,  that  he  had  given  the  most 
respectful  attention  to  the  views 
which  they  had  expressed,  implying 
that  he  had  been  all  along  present, 
and  had  listened  to  the  debate.  TT 
Whilst  ye  searched  out  lohat  to  say. 
Marg.  as  in  Heb.,  words.  It  is  im- 
plied here  that  they  had  bestowlVl 
much  attention  on  whtrt  they  had 
said.  They  had  carefully  sought  out 
all  the  arguments  at  their  command 
to  confute  Job,  and  still  had  been 
unsuccessful. 

12.  There  was  none  of  you  that  con- 
vinced Job.  There  was  no  one  to 
produce  conviction  on  his  mind,  or 
rather,  th&re  wa^s  no  one   to  reprove 

him  by  ansiccring  him —  '^*T"  1"'^''''^  • 
They  were  completely  silenced,  and 
had  nothing  to  reply  to  the  argnments 


sons,  whilst  ye  searched  out 
'^  what  to  say. 

12  Yea,  I  attended  unto  you  ; 
and,  behold,  there  was  none  of 
you  that  convinced  Job,  or  that 
answered  his  words  : 

J  3  Lest  ye  should  say.  We  ^ 
have  found  out  wisdom ;  God 
thrusteth  him  down,  not  man. 

b  Jer.  9.  23. 

which  he  had  advanced,  and  to  his 
reflections  on  the  divine  government. 
13.  Lest  ye  should  say,  We  have 
found  out  wisdom.  That  is,  this  has 
been  permitted  and  cwdered  in  such  a 
m-anner  that  it  might  be  manifest  that 
the  truths  which  are  to  convince  him 
come  from  God  and  not  from  man. 
You  were  not  permitted  to  refute  or 
convince  him,  for  if  you  had  been 
you  would  have  been  lifted  up  with 
pride,  and  would  have  attributed  to 
yourselves  what  belongs  Ijo  God.  This 
is  in  accordance  with  the  entire  drift 
of  the  book,  which  is  to  introduce  the 
Almighty  himself  to  settle  the  contro- 
versy when  human  wisdom  failed. 
They  could  not  arrogate  to  themselves 
the  claim  that  they  had  found  out 
wisdom.  They  liad  been  completely 
silenced  by  Job  ;  they  had  no  power 
to  drive  him  from  his  positions  ;  they 
could  not  explain  the  divine  dealings 
so  as  to  se'ttle  the  great  inquiry  in 
which  they  had  been  engaged.  Elihu 
proposes  to  do  it,  and  to  do  it  in  such 
a  way  as  to  show  that  it  could  be 
accomplished  only  by  that  wisdom 
which  is  from  above.  U  God  thrusteth 
him  down,  not  vian.  Thes-e  are  the 
words  of  Elihu.  The  meaningis,  '  God 
only  can  drive  Job  from  his  position, 
and  show  him  the  truth,  and  humble 
him.  The  wisdom  of  man  fails.  The 
aged,  the  experienced,  aiid  tliiC  wise 
have  been  unable  to  meet  his  argu- 
ments and  bring  him  down  from  the 
positions  which  he  has  taken.  Tiiat 
work  can  be  done  only  by  God  him- 
self, or  by  the  wisdom  which  lie  only 
can  give.'  Accordingly  Elihu,  who 
proposes  to    me<t  the  arguments  of 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


135 


14  Now,  he  hath  not  '  direct- 
ed his  words  against  me  ;  nei- 
tlier  will  I  answer  him  with  your 
speeches. 

15  They  were  amazed  ;  they 
answered  no  more;  they  "left 
ofl*  speaking. 

Job,  makes  no  appeal  to  experience 
or  observation  ;  lie  doe-s  not  ground 
what  lie  says  on  the  maxims  of  sages, 
or  tlie  results  of  reflection,  but  pro- 
poses to  adduce  the  precepts  of  wis- 
dom which  God  had  imparted  to  him. 
Cli.  xxxiii.  4,  6.  Other  interpreta- 
tions have,  however,  been  given  of 
this  verse,  but  the  above  seems  to  me 
the  most  simple,  and  in-ost  in  accord- 
ance with  the  scope  of  the  passage. 

14.  S\'o7c,  he  hath  not  directed  his 
words  against  mc.  Marg.  ordered. 
The  meaning  of  this  expression  rs, 
'  I  can  approach  this  subject  in  a 
wholly  dispassionate  and  unpreju- 
diced manner.  I  have  had  none  of 
the  provocations  which  you  have  felt ; 
iiis  harsh  and  severe  remarks  have 
not  fallen  on  me  as  they  have  on  3-011, 
and  I  can  come  to  the  subject  with 
the  utmost  coolness.'  The  object  is 
to  show  that  he  was  not  irritated,  and 
that  lie  would  be  under  no  temptation 
to  use  words  from  the  influence  of  pas- 
sion, or  any  other  than  those  which 
conveyed  the  simple  truth.  He  seems 
disposed  to  admit  that  Job  had  given 
some  occasion  for  severe  remarks,  by 
the  manner  in  which  he  had  treated 
his  friends.  '[  JS'either  will  I  answer 
him  with  your  speeches.  They  also 
had  been  wrong.  They  had  given 
way  to  passion,  and  had  indulged  in 
severity  of  language,  rather  than  pur- 
sued a  simple  and  calm  course  of  argu- 
ment. From  all  this,  Elihu  says  he 
was  free,  and  could  approach  the  sub- 
ject in  the  most  calm  and  dispassion- 
ate manner.  He  had  had  no  tempta- 
tion to  indulge  in  severity  of  language 
like  theirs,  and  he  would  not  do  it. 

15.  They  were  amazed.  These  also 
are  the  words  of  Elihu,  and  are  de- 
signed   to  express    his   astonishment 


16  When  I  had  waited,  (for 
they  spake  not,  but  stood  still, 
and  answered  no  more,) 

17  /  said,  I  will  answer  also 
my  part ;  I  also  will  shew  mine 
opinion. 

1  or,  ordered, 
2  removed  speeches  from  themselves. 

that  the  three  friends  of  Job  did  not 
answer  him.  He  says  that  they  were 
completely  silenced,  and  lie  repeats 
this  to  call  attention  to  the  remarkable 
fact  that  men  who  began  so  confi- 
dently, and  who  still  held  on  to  their 
opinion,  had  not  one  word  more  to 
say.  There  is  some  reason  to  sup- 
pose, from  the  change  of  person  here 
from  the  second  to  the  third,  that 
Elihu  turned  from  them  to  those  who 
were  present,  and  called  their  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  the  friends  of 
Job  were  completely  silenced.  This 
supposition,  however,  is  not  abso- 
lutely necessary,  for  it  is  not  uncom- 
mon in  Hebrew  poetry  to  change 
from  the  second  person  to  the  third, 
especially  where  there  is  any  censure 
or  rebuke  implied.  Comp.  ch.  xviii. 
4.  T[  Tltey  left  off  speaking.  Marg. 
removed specchesfrom  themselves.  The 
marginal  reading  accords  with  the 
Hebrew.  The  sense  is  the  same  as 
in  the  common  version,  though  the 
Hebrew  is  more  poetic.  It  is  not 
merely  that  they  ceased  to  speak,  but 
that  they  put  words  at  a  great  dis- 
tance from  them.  They  could  say 
absolutely  nothing.  This  fact,  that 
they  were  wholly  silent,  furnished  an 
ample  apology  for  Elihu  to  take  up 
tlie  subject. 

17.  I  also  tcill  show  mine  opinion. 
In  this  language,  as  in  ver.  6,  there  is 
a  delicate  expression  of  modesty  in 
the  Hebrew  which  does  not  appear  in 
our  translation.  It  is  ''r^~~K — even 
I.  '  Even  one  so  young,  and  so  hum- 
ble as  I,  may  be  permitted  to  express 
my  sentiments,  when  the  aged  and 
the  great  have  nothing  more  to  say. 
It  will  be  no  improper  intrusion  for 
even  mc  to  speak  when  no  other  one 
more  aged  and  honorable  desires  to. 


J36 


JOB 


18  For  1  am  full  of  '  matter  ; 
t!ie  spirit  within  ''me  constrain- 

Cti)    IIR'. 


1  words. 


2  nfmy  belly. 


In  all  tliis  we  may  discern  a  degree 
(>r  courtesy,  and  a  delicate  sense  of 
j)ropriety,  vvliicli  may  be  commended 
to  the  imitation  of  all,  and  especially 
to  the  yoiiiig.  In  tlie  manners  of  tlie 
pious  men  whose  biography  is  re- 
corded in  the  Bible,  there  is  a  de- 
gree of  refinement,  delicacy,  and 
courtesy,  in  their  treatment  of  others, 
such  as  will  seldom  be  found  even  in 
the  most  elevated  walks  of  life,  and 
?u(-h  as  religion  only  can  produce. 
The  outward  form  may  be  obtained 
by  the  world  ;  the  living  principle  is 
found  only  in  the  heart  which  is  im- 
bued with  love  to  God  and  man. 

\8.  For  I  inn  full  of  matter.  Marg 
as  in  Heb.  loords.  The  three  friends 
of  Job  had  been  silenced.  They  had 
not  one  word  more  to  say.  Elihu 
says  that  the  reverse  was  true  of  him. 
He  was  full  of  icords,  and  felt  con- 
strained to  speak.  It  was  not  be- 
cause lie  forced  himself  to  do  it,  iw)r 
because  lie  did  it  as  a  mere  matter  of 
duty,  but  he  was  so  impressed  with 
the  subject  that  it  would  be  a  relief 
for  him  to  give  utterance  to  his\iews. 
U  T/ie  spirit  vithln  me.  Referring, 
probably,  to  the  conviction  that  it 
was  the  divine  Spirit  which  urged 
liim  to  speak.  See  Notes  on  ver.  6. 
Comp.^  eh.  xxxiii.  4.  A  similar  con- 
straint in  regard  to  the  necessity  of 
speaking,  when  under  the  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  expressed  in 
Jer.  XX.  !),  "His  word  was  in  my 
lieart  as  a  burning  fire  shut  np  in  my 
bones,  and  I  was  weary  with  forbear- 
ing, and  I  could  not  stay."  Comp. 
Intro,  to  Isaiah  §  7.  (3.)  The  phrase 
"  within  me  "  is  in  tiie  margin,  as  in 
Heb.  my  belly — where  the  belly  is 
epoken  of  as  the  seat  of  the  mind. 
See  ch.  \v.  2.  We  speak  of  the 
ticad  as  the  seat  of  the  intellect,  and 
the  heart  as  the  seat  of  the  affections. 
Tlie  Hebrews  were  miu'li  in  the 
liabit  of  representing  the    region   of 


19  Beliold,  my  belly  is  as 
wine  7chich  hath  'no  vent;  it  is 
ready  to  burst  like  new  bottles 

3  is  not  opened. 


the  heart  as    the   seat  of  all  mental 
operations. 

li).  Behold,  my  belly  is  as  tcinc 
which  hat/i  no  zcnt.  Marg.  as  in 
lieb.,is7iot  ojicned — ^^^^7  ^'^  The 
reference  is  to  a  bottle,  in  which 
there  is  no  opening,  or  no  vent  for 
the  fermenting  wine  to  work  itself 
off.  It  is  usual  to  leave  a  small  hole 
in  barrels  and  casks  when  wine, 
cider,  or  beer  is  fermenting.  This  is 
necessary  in  order  to  prevent  the  cask 
from  bursting.  Elihu  compares  him- 
self to  a  bottle  in  which  new  wine 
had  been  put,  and  where  there  was 
no  vent  for  it,  and  when  in  conse- 
quence it  was  ready  to  burst.  That 
neiB  wine  is  here  intended  is  apparent 
from  the  connection,  and  has  been  so 
understood  by  the  ancient  versions. 
So  Jerome  renders  it,  Mnsfinn,  must, 
or  new  wine.  The  LXX,  doy.h^ 
yXevy.ovq  ti'wi'  Sidf'fiayoq — "  a  bottle 
filled  with  sweet  wine,  ferment- 
ing, bound  ;"  that  is,  which  has  no 
vent.  II  It  is  ready  to  burst  like 
new  bottles.  The  hXX  render  this, 
"As  the  rent  (/'Jo»;;-oj,-)  bellows  of  a 
smith."  Wliy  this  version  was  adopt- 
ed, it  is  not  easy  to  say.  The  com- 
parison would  be  pertinent,  but  the 
version  could  not  be  made  from  the 
present  Hebrew  text.  It  is  possible 
that  the  copy  of  the  Hebrew  text 
which  the  Sepfuagint  had  may  have 
read  fui'in — artificers,  instead  cf 
Ctli'iri  — new,  and  then  the  meaning 
would  be,  '  as  the  bottles,  or  skins  of 
artificers;'  that  is,  as  their  bellows, 
which  were  doubtless  at  first  merely 
the  skins  of  animals.  The  reference 
of  Elihu,  however,  is  undoubtedly  to 
skins  that  were  used  as  bottles,  and 
new  skins  are  liere  mentioned  as 
ready  to  burst,  not  because  they  were 
more  likely  to  burst  than  old  ones — 
for  that  was  by  no  means  the  case — but 
becaust;   new  and  unfermented  wine 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


137 


20  I  will  speak,  that  I  irny 
'  be  refreshed  :  I  will  open  my 
lips,  and  answer. 

1  breathe, 

would  naturally  be  placed  in  them, 
thns  endangering  them.  Bottles  in 
tlie  East,  it  is  well  known,  are  usually 
made    of    the   skins   of   goats.      See 


21  Let  me  not,  I  pray  you, 
accept  any  man's  person  ;  nei- 
ther let  me  give  flattering  titles 
unto  man. 

Notes  on  Matth.  ix.  17.  The  annexed 
cut  represents  the  usual  form  of  bot- 
tles ill  the  East : 


The  process  of  manufacturing  them 
at  present  is  this  :  The  skins  of  the 
goats  are  stripped  off  whole  except  at 
the  neck.  Tiie  holes  at  the  feet  and 
tail  are  sewed  up.  Tliey  are  first 
stuffed  out  full,  and  strained  by  driv- 
ing in  small  billets  and  chips  of  oak 
wood  ;  and  then  are  filled  with  a 
strong  infusion  of  oak  bark  for  a  cer- 
tain time,  until  the  hair  becomes 
fixed,  and  the  skin  sufficiently  tanned. 
They  are  sold  at  different  prices,  from 
fifteen  up  to  fifty  piastres.  Robinson's 
Bibli.  Research,  ii.  440.  Elihu,  per- 
liaps,  could  not  have  found  a  more 
striking  illustration  of  his  meaning. 
He  could  no  longer  restrain  himself, 
and  he  gave  utterance,  therefore,  to 
the  views  which  he  deemed  so  im- 
portant. The  word  hflli/  in  this  verse 
(1133)  is  rendered  by  Umbreit  and 
NoycB,  bosom.     It  not  improbably  has 


this  meaning,  and  the  reference  is  to 
the  fact  that  in  the  East  the  words  are 
uttered  forth  much  more  ab  imo  pec- 
tore,  or  are  much  more  guttural  than 
with  us.  Tiie  voice  seems  to  come 
from  the  lower  part  of  the  throat,  or 
from  the  bosom,  in  a  manner  which 
the  people  of  Western  nations  find  it 
difficult  to  imitate. 

20.  /  will  sjjeak,  that  I  may  be  re 
freshed.  Marg.  breathe.  The  meaning 

is,  that  he  would  then  have  room  to 
breathe  again  ;  he  would  feel  relieved. 

21.  Let  mc  not,  I  pray  you.  This 
is  not  to  be  regarded  as  an  address  to 
them,  or  a  prayer  to  God,  but  as  an 
expression  of  his  determination.  It 
is  similar  to  the  phras-o  which  we  use 
when  we  say,  •'  may  I  never  do  this  ;" 
implying  the  strongest  possible  pur- 
pose not  to  do  it.  Elihu  means  to 
say  that  on  no  account  would  he  use 


138 


JOB. 


22  For  "  I  know  not  to  give 
flattering  titles  ;  in  sc  doiiig  my 

a  Gal.  1.  10.  b  Ps.  V2.  3,  3. 

partiality  or  flattery  in  what  he  said. 
IT  Accept  any  man's  person.  Treat 
any  with  partiality.  That  is,  '  I  will 
not  be  influenced  by  rank,  age,  wealth, 
or  personal  friendship,  in  what  I  saj'. 
I  will  state  the  truth  impartially,  and 
will  deliver  my  sentiments  with  en- 
tire freedom.'  See  the  phrase  ex- 
plained in  the  Notes  on  ch.  xiii.  8. 
ir  JS'cither  let  mc  give  f  uttering  titles 
unto  man.  The  word  here  used  ("^J^ 
— not  used  in  Kal,  but  found  only  in 
Piel),  means  to  address  in  a  friendly 
and  soothing  manner  ;  to  speak  kindly 
to  any  one,  Isa.  xliv.  5,  xlv.  4  ;  and 
then  to  flatter.  That  is,  undoubtedly, 
its  meaning  here.  Elihu  says  he  did 
not  know  how  to  flatter  any  one. 
He  meant  to  state  the  exact  trutli ;  to 
treat  each  one  impartially  ;  and  not 
to  be  influenced  by  the  rank  or  wealth 
of  those  whom  he  addressed.  He 
meant  to  deal  in  plain  and  simple 
truth. 

22.  For  I  Unoio  not  to  give  flattering 
titles.  I  do  not  know  how  to  flatter. 
It  is  not  in  my  character ;  it  has  not 
been  my  habit.  H  In  so  doing.  These 
words  are  not  in  the  Hebrew,  and 
they  greatly  mar  the  sense,  and  give 
a  different  idea  from  that  which  was 
intended  by  the  speaker.  IT  Mij  Maker 
icould  suon  tale  mc  aicay.  Or,  rather, 
'  3Iy  Maker  will  soon  take  me  away.' 
That  is,  '  I  know  that  I  must  soon  be 
removed,  and  must  stand  before  my 
Maker.  I  must  give  an  account  for 
all  that  I  say.  Knowing  that  I  am  to 
go  to  the  realities  of  another  state  of 
being,  I  cannot  flatter  men.  I  must 
tell  them  the  exact  and  simple  truth.' 
There    could    be   no  better   preven- 


Maker 
away. 


would    soon    take    me 


tive  of  flattery  than  this.  The  con- 
viction that  we  are  soon  to  appear 
before  God,  where  all  are  on  a  level, 
and  where  every  mask  will  be  strip- 
ped otY,  and  every  thing  appear  as  it 
is,  would  prevent  us  from  ascribing  to 
others  qualities  which  we  know  the)' 
do  not  possess,  and  from  giving  them 
titles  which  will  only  exalt  them  in 
their  own  estimation,  and  hide  the 
truth  from  their  minds.  Titles  which 
properly  belong  to  men,  and  which 
pertain  to  office,  religion  does  not  for- 
bid us  to  confer — for  the  welfare  of 
the  community  is  promoted  by  a 
proper  respect  for  the  names  and 
offices  of  those  who  rule.  But  no 
good  end  is  answered  in  ascribing  to 
men  titles  as  mere  matters  of  dis- 
tinction, which  serve  to  keep  before 
them  the  idea  of  their  own  talents  or 
importance  ;  or  which  lead  them  to 
forget  that  they  like  others  are  soon 
to  be  "  taken  away,"  and  called  to 
give  up  their  account  in  another 
world.  The  deep  conviction  that 
we  are  all  soon  to  try  the  realities  of 
a  bed  of  death  and  of  the  grave,  and 
that  we  are  to  go  to  a  world  where 
there  is  no  delusion,  and  where  the 
ascription  of  qualities  to  us  here 
which  do  not  belong  to  us  will  be  of 
no  avail,  would  prompt  to  a  wish  to 
state  always  the  simple  truth.  Under 
that  conviction,  we  should  never  so 
ascribe  to  another  any  quality  of 
beaut)',  strength,  or  talent,  any  name 
or  title,  as  to  leave  him  for  one  mo- 
ment under  a  deception  about  him- 
self. If  this  rule  were  followed,  what 
a  change  would  it  produce  in  the 
social,  the  political,  the  literary,  and 
even  the  religious  world  ! 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 


The  discourse  in  this  chnpter  is  directed  entirely  to  Job.  In  tlie  following  chapter  Elil.n 
addresses  particularly  the  friends  of  Job.  Jn  this  chapter,  the  main  design  is  to  convince  Job 
that  he  had  erred  in  the  views  which  he  had  expressed  of  God,  and  to  state  the  true  design  of 
offliction — wliich  he  supjioses  liad  not  been  understood  either  by  him  or  his  friends.  The  three 
friends  of  Job  regarded  it  as  a  mere  punishment — as  always  expressive  of  the  divine  displeas 
ure.  Job  had  resisted  this  opinion,  but  was  not  able  to  state  why  good  men  are  afliicted 
i?ometimes  he  seemed  to  suppose  that  it  must  be  resolved  into  mere  sovereignty  ;  sometimes  he 
had  indulged  in  language  of  severity  in  rcgtird  to  God  ;  and  sometimes  lie  held  that  God  would 
yi't  come  forth  and  vindicate  the  afflicted,  and  appear  as  the  friend  of  his  people.  Elihu  inter- 
poses, and  says  that  neither  understood  tlfc  true  object  of  affliction.  It  was  to  accomplish 
w  hat  nothing  else  wouhl  do  ;  to  produce  effects  on  tlie  mind  and  life  which  could  not  be  reached 
in  any  other  way  ;  and  if  the  afflicted  would  turn  fiom  their  sins,  God  would  be  still  merciful 
to  them.     In  stating  tliese  views,  Klihu  dwells  on  the  following  points  : 

I.  He  addresses  himself  to  Job,  and  urges  reasons  why  he  should  listen  to  wliat  he  had  to 
say,  vs.  1-7.  He  says  that  he  would  speak  in  uprightness  and  truth  ;  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
had  taught  him,  and  that  he  was  in  God's  stead  ;  and  that  as  Job  had  often  wished  tliat  he  might 
be  permitted  to  bring  liis  cause  before  God,  he  now  had  the  opportunity,  and  in  such  a  way  that 
he  would  not  be  overawed  by  the  divine  majesty,  as  if  he  had  visibly  appeared.  If  he  desired 
to  vindicate  himself,  he  had  now  the  opportunity. 

II.  He  refers,  briefly,  to  the  sentiments  which  Job  had  advanced,  and  particularly  to  his  severe 
reflections  on  the  divine  dealings,  as  if  God  had  been  unjust  and  severe,  vs.  8-11.  Job,  he  says, 
had  maintained  his  own  perfect  purity;  he  had  denied  that  he  deserved  what  had  come  upon 
him;  he  had  charged  God  with  '  finding  occasions '  against  him,  and  with  having  pleasure  in 
bringing  trials  on  him  without  any  suflicient  cause ;  and  had  said  that  God  regarded  him  as  an 
enemy,  and  narrowly  watched  all  his  pcillis. 

III.  Klihu  proposes,  therefore,  to  meet  all  this,  and  show  Job  that  his  opinion  was  unjust,  and 
to  state  to  him  the  real  design  of  his  affliction,  to  suggest  some  principle  which  would  explain  it 
all  without  these  injurious  reflections  on  the  character  cf  God.  This  occupies  the  remainder  of 
the  chapter,  vs.  12-33.     In  doing  this,  he  adveits  to  the  following  points  : 

(1.)  He  says  that  Job  could  not  be  vindicated  in  what  he  had  said ;  that  God  was  greater 
than  man  ;  and  that  even  if  man  could  not  see  the  reason  of  his  doings,  he  ought  to  acquiesce 
in  them,  since  God  did  not  give  account  of  any  of  his  matters,  vs.  12,  J3. 

(2.)  He  observes  that  God  speaks  in  various  ways  to  men  ;  that  he  often  addresses  them  by 
direct  revelation  in  the  visions  of  the  night ;  and  that  his  object  is  to  benefit  man — to  withdraw 
him  fiom  an  evil  purpose,  and  to  make  him  humble,  vs.  14-17. 

(3.)  In  the  prosecution  of  the  same  object,  and  with  a  view  to  the  same  lesult.  he  often  visits 
men  with  affliction.  His  object  is  to  keep  back  man  from  the  jiit,  and  he  therefore  chastens  him 
so  that  his  life  abhors  bread,  so  that  his  flesh  pines  away,  and  so  that  he  drawls  near  to  the 
grave,  vs.  18-22. 

(4.)  If  this  is  effectual — if  man  receives  it  in  a  proper  manner,  and  is  disposed  to  come  back 
to  God,  he  is  willing  to  receive  and  forgive  him.  Here  is  tlie  real  clew  to  the  design  of  offliction. 
It  is  to  bring  the  offender  to  repentance,  and  to  save  his  soul.  If  the  afflicted  man  has  some  one 
to  explain  the  design  of  trial,  then  God  w  ill  be  gracious  ;  his  flesh  will  be  restored  fresher  than 
an  infant's,  and  if  he  confesses  his  sin,  God  will  be  merciful  to  him,  and  save  him,  vs.  23-28. 
All  these  things,  he  says,  are  done  by  God  to  accomplish  a  single  purpose — to.bring  back  man 
from  his  wanderings,  and  to  restore  him  to  the  favor  ol  Heaven,  vs.  £9,  30. 

(5.)  In  the  conclusion  of  his  address  to  Job,  Elihu  calls  on  him  to  reply  to  th's,  if  he  had  any 
answer  to  make.  He  professes  a  desire  to  vindicate  Job  if  he  could,  but  says  that  if  he  had 
nothing  to  say  in  reply,  he  would  teach  him  what  true  wisdom  was,  vs.  31-33. 

i\l  HEREFORE,  Job,  I  pray   thee,    hear     my    speeches,    and 

hearken  to  all  my  words. 


W 


1  JVhereforc,  Job,  I  pray  thee.  In 
the  next  chapter  he  addresses  the  three 
frier^ds  of  Job.  This  is  addressed 
particularly  to  him.  H  My  speeches. 
Heb  my  icords — '^\''^  .  This  is  the 
usual    word    in     the    Aramaean    lan- 


guages to  e.xpress  a  saying  or  dis- 
course, though  in  Hebrew  it  is  only  a 
poetic  form.  The  meaning  is,  not  tliat 
he  would  address  separate  speeches,  or 
distinct  discourses,  to  Job,  but  that  he 
called  on  him  to  attend  to  what  ho 
had  to  say. 


140 


JOB. 


2  Behold,  now  I  have  opened 
my  mouth,  my  tongue  hath  spo- 
ken in  my  '  mouth. 

3  My  words  "  shall  be  of  the 
uprightness  of  my  heart  ;  and 
my  lips  shall  utter  knowledge  * 
clearly. 

2.  My  tongue  hath  spoken  in  my 
■mouth.  Marg.  palate.  The  meaning 
is,  that  since  he  liad  ventured  to 
speak,  and  had  actually  commenced, 
he  would  utter  only  that  which  was 
worthy  to  be  heard.  This  is  properly 
the  commencement  of  his  argument, 
for  all  that  he  had  before  said  was 
merely  an  introduction.  The  word 
palate — ''  in  my  paiate  "  ("^3113)  is 
here  used  because  of  the  importance 
of  that  organ  in  the  act  of  speaking. 
Perhaps,  also,  there  may  be  reference 
to  the  tact  that  the  Hebrews  made 
much  more  use  of  the  lower  organs 
of  enunciation — the  palate,  and  the 
throat,  than  we  do,  and  much  less  use 
of  the  teeth  and  lips.  Hence  their 
language  was  strongly  guttural. 

3.  My  icords  shall  be  o?  the  upright- 
ness of  my  heart.  I  will  speak  in  sin- 
cerity, i  will  utter  nothing  that  shall 
be  hollow  and  hypocritical.  What  I 
speak  shall  be  the  real  suggestion  of 
my  heart — what  I  feel  and  know  to 
be  true.  Perhaps  Elihu  was  the  more 
anxious  to  make  this  point  entirely 
clear,  because  the  three  friends  of  Job 
might  be  supposed  to  liave  laid  them- 
selves open  to  the  suspicion  that  they 
were  influenced  by  passion  or  preju- 
dice ;  that  they  had  maintained  their 
opinions  from  mere  obstinacy  and  not 
from  conviction ;  and  that  they  had 
been  sometimes  disposed  to  cavil. 
Elihu  claims  that  all  that  he  was 
about  to  say  would  be  entirely  sin- 
cere. U  Shall  utter  knoicledge  clearly. 
Shall  state  things  just  as  they  are,  and 
give  the  true  solution  of  the  difliculties 
which  have  been  felt  in  regard  to  the 
divine  dealings.  His  object  is  to  guard 
himself  wholly  from  the  suspicion  of 
partiality. 

4.  The  Spirit  of  God  hath  made  me. 
See  Notes,  ch.  xxxii.  8.     There  is  an 


4  The  Spirit  of  God  hath 
made  me,  and  the  breath  of  the 
Almighty  hath  given  me  life. 

5  If  thou  canst  answer  me,  set 
thy  words  in  order  before  me ; 
stand  up  ; 

1  palate.         a  Pr.  8.  6-9.         b  Ti.  2.  7.  8. 

evident  allusion  in  this  verse  to  the 
mode  in  which  man  was  created, 
when  God  breathed  into  him  the 
breath  of  life  and  he  became  a  living 
being.  Gen.  ii.  7.  But  it  is  not  quite 
clear  why  Elihu  adverts  here  to  the 
fict  that  God  liad  made  him,  or  wliat 
is  the  bearing  of  this  fact  on  what  he 
proposed  to  say.  The  most  probable 
supposition  is,  that  he  means  to  state 
that  he  is,  like  Job,  a  man  ;  that  both 
were  formed  in  the  same  way — from 
the  same  breathing  of  the  Almighty, 
and  from  the  same  clay  (ver.  6)  ;  and 
that  although  he  had  undertaken  to 
speak  to  Job  in  God's  stead  (ver.  6), 
yet  Job  had  no  occasion  to  fear  that 
he  would  be  overawed  and  confound- 
ed by  the  Divine  Majesty.  He  had 
dreaded  that,  if  he  should  be  permiiled 
to  bring  his  case  before  him  (Notes  ver. 
7),  but  Elihu  says  that  now  he  would 
have  no  such  thing  to  aj)prehend. 
Though  it  would  be  in  fact  the  same 
thing  as  carrying  the  matter  before 
God — since  he  came  in  his  name,  and 
meant  to  state  the  true  principles  of 
his  government,  yet  Job  would  be 
also  really  conducting  the  cause  icith 
a  man  like  himself",  and  might,  un- 
awed,  enter  with  the  utmost  freedom 
into  tlie  statement  of  his  views. 

5.  If  thou  canst  ansicer  me.  The 
meaning  of  this  verse  is  this:  'The 
controversy  between  you  and  me,  if 
you  choose  to  reply,  shall  be  con- 
ducted in  the  most  equitable  manner, 
and  on  the  most  equal  terms.  1  will 
not  attempt,  as  your  three  friends 
have  done,  to  overwhelm  you  with  re- 
proaches ;  nor  will  I  attempt  to  over- 
awe you  as  God  would  do,  so  tliat 
you  could  not  reply.  I  am  a  man 
like  yourself,  and  desire  that  if  any 
thing  can  be  said  against  what  I  have 
to  advance,  it  should  be  ofl'ered  with 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


141 


6  Behold,  I  am  according  to 
ihy  '  wish  in  "  God's  stead  ;  I 
also  am     iornied  out  ot"  the  clay. 

7  Behold,    my   '   terror    shall 

the  uUnost  fairness  and  freedom.'  H 
Stand  in,'.  Tlint  is,  '  maintain  your 
pi;sition,  unless  you  are  convinced  by 
my  arguments.  I  wish  to  carry  noth- 
ing by  mere  authority  or  power.' 

(j.  Behold,   I  am   according  to  thy 
rcish   in    God's   stead.     Marg.    as    in 
lleh.  iHOUth.     Tlie  mouth  is  that  by 
which  we  express  our  desires,  and  the 
word  liere  is  equivalent  to  icish.  Some 
have,  however,  rendered  this  differ- 
ently.    Umbreit  translates  it,  ich  bin, 
wie  du,  von  Gott — /  am,  as  thou  ait, 
from  God.     So  Noyes,  "  I,  like  thee, 
am  a  creature  of  God."    Wemyss,  "  I 
am  thine  equal  in  the  sight  of  God."' 
Coverdale,  "  Behold,  before  God  am 
I  even  as   thou,  for  I  am  fashioned 
and  made  even  of  the  same  mould." 
The    Vulgate    renders    it,    "  Behold 
God  made  me  as  he  made  thee  ;  and 
of  the  same  clay  am  I  formed."      So 
the  LXX,  "  From   clay   am  I  formed 
as  well   as   thou,  and  we   are  formed 
from  the  same."      This  interpretation 
eeems  to    be   demanded  also  by  the 
parallelism,  where  he  says    that   he 
was  made  of  the  same  clay  with  Job  ; 
that  is,  that  he  was  a  man   like  him. 
Still,  it  seems  to  me,  that  the  fair  and 
obvious  meaning  of  the   Hebrew   is 
that  which  is  expressed  in  our  com- 
mon version.     TJie  Hebrew  is,  'X5 
M""?^  ''?'5^~'iv!  — "  lo,  I  am,  according  to 
thy  mouth  [word,  or  wish]  for  God  ;'" 
that  is,  I  am  in  his  place  ;  I  speak  in 
•j     his  name  ;  I  am  so  commissioned  by 
'     him  that  you  ma)'  regard  yourself  as 
in  fact  speaking  to  him  when  you  ad- 
dress his  ambassador.     This  will  also 
^cord  with   what  is  said  in   ver.  7, 
and  with  what  Job  had  so  earnestly 
desired,  that  he  might  be  allowed  to 
bring  his  cause  directly  before  God. 
See  Notes  ch.  xiii.  3.     IT  /  also  avi 
formed  out  of  the   clay.     Marg.  cvt. 
The  figure  is  taken  from  the  act  of  the 
potter  who  cuts  off  a  portion  of  clay 
which  he  moulds  into  a  vessel,  and 


not  make  thee  afraid,  neither 
shall  my  hand  be  heavy  upon 
thee. 

\  moulli.       a  c.  9.  32,33.       'H  cut.       6  c.  9.34 

there  is  manifest  allusion  here  to 
the  statement  in  Genesis,  that  God 
made  man  of  the  dust  of  th.e  ground. 
The  meaning  in  this  connection  is, 
'  Though  I  am  in  the  place  of  God, 
and  speak  in  his  name,  yet  I  am  also 
a  man,  made  of  the  same  frail  mate- 
terial  as  yourself.  In  me,  therefore, 
there  is  nothing  to  overawe  or  con- 
found you  as  there  would  be  if  God 
spake   liimself.' 

7.  Behold  my  terror  shall  not  make 
thee  afraid.  Job  had  earnestly  de- 
sired to  carry  his  cause  directly  be 
fore  God,  but  he  had  expressed  the 
apprehension  that  he  would  overawe 
him  by  his  majesty  so  that  he  would 
not  be  able  to  manage  his  plea  with 
the  calmness  and  self-possession 
which  were  desirable.  He  had,  there- 
fore, expressed  it  as  his  earnest  wish, 
that  if  he  were  so  permitted,  God 
would  not  take  advantage  of  his 
majesty  and  power  to  confound  him. 
See  Notes  ch.  xiii.  21.  Elihu  now  says, 
that  the  wish  of  Job  in  this  could  be 
amply  gratified.  Though  he  spake 
in  the  name  of  God,  and  it  might  be 
considered  that  the  case  was  fairly 
carried  before  him,  yet  he  was  also  a 
man.  He  was  the  fellow,  the  equal 
with  Job.  He  was  made  of  the  same 
clay,  and  he  could  not  overawe  him 
as  the  Almighty  hin-.self  might  do. 
There  would  be,  therefore,  in  his 
case  all  the  advantage  of  carrying  the 
cause  directly  up  to  God,  and  yet 
none  of  the  disadvantage  whicli  Job 
apprehended,  and  which  must  ensue 
when  a  mere  man  undertook  to  man 
age  his  own  cause  with  the  Almighty 
H  JVeither  shall  my  hand  he  luavy 
upon  thee.  Alluding,  evidently,  to 
what  Job  had  said,  ch.  .tiii.  21,  that 
the  hand  of  God  was  heavy  upon 
him,  so  that  he  could  not  conduct 
his  cause  in  such  a  manner  as  to  do 
justice  to  himself.  He  had  asked, 
therefore  (see  Notes  on  that  place), 
as  a  special  favor,  if  he  was  permit 


142 


JOB. 


8  Surely  thou  hast  spoken  in 
mine  hearing,  '  and  I  have  heard 


ted  to  carry  his  cause  before  God,  that 
his  hand  woukl  be  so  far  lightened 
tij;it  he  could  be  able  to  state  his  argu- 
nients  with  the  force  vvJiich  they  re- 
quired. Elihu  says  now  that  that 
wish  could  be  gratified.  Though  he 
was  in  the  place  of  God,  yet  he  was 
a  man,  and  his  hand  would  not  be 
upon  him  to  crush  him  down  so  that 
he  could  not  do  justice  to  himself. 
The  noun  rendered  hand  (^r:^.)  does 
not  elsewhere  occur.  The  verb  ^2X 
occurs  once  in  Prov.  xvi.  26,  where  it 
is  rendered  '■^  cravetk  " — "He  that 
laboreth,  laboreth  for  himself;  for  his 
mouth  cravethit  of  him  " — where  the 
margin  is,  howeth  unto.  The  word 
in  Arabic  means  to  load  a  beast  of 
burden ;  to  bend,  to  make  to  bow 
under  a  load  ;  and  then  to  impel,  to 
urge  on  ;  and  hence  it  means,  '  his 
mouth,  i.  6.  hungei-,  impels,  or  urges 
him  on  to  labor.'     In  like  manner  the 

meaning  of  the  word  here  (^5'*)  maij 
be  a  load  or  burden,  meaning  '  my 
load,  i.  e.  my  weight,  dignity,  author- 
ity, shall  not  be  burdensome  or  op- 
pressive to  you.'  But  the  parallel 
place  in  ch.  xiii.  21,  is  '  hand,'  and 
that  meaning  seems  to  be  required 
here.  Kimchi  supposes  it  is  the  same 
as  *r]3  — hand,  and  the  LXX  have  so 
rendered  it,  fj  xfto  iinv.  In  the  view 
of  the  speech  of  Llihu  thus  far,  we 
cannot  but  remark  that  there  is  much 
that  is  peculiar,  and  especially  that 
he  lays  decided  claim  to  inspiration. 
Though  speaking  for  God,  yet  he 
was  in  human  nature,  and  Job  might 
speak  to  him  as  a  friend,  unawed  and 
unterrified  by  any  dread  of  over- 
whelming majesty  and  power.  On 
what  grounds  Elihu  based  these  high 
pretensions  does  not  appear,  and  liis 
claim  to  them  is  the  more  remarkable 
from  his  youth.  It  does  not  require 
the  aid  of  a  very  lively  imagination 
to  fancy  a  resemblance  between  him 
and  the  Lord  Jesus — the  great  media- 
tor between  God  and  man — and  were 


the  voice  of  thy  "  words,  saying 
9  I  am  clean   without   trans- 

a  c.  10.  7,  16.  17,  23.  11.  12,  27.  5,  G,  29.14. 


that  mode  of  interpretation  which  de- 
lights to  find  types  and  figures  eveiy 
where  a  mode  that  could  be  vindi- 
cated, there  is  no  character  in  the  Old 
Testament  that  would  more  obviously 
suggest  that  of  the  P.edeemer  than  the 
character  of  Elihu.  His  comparative 
youth,  his  modesty,  his  humility, 
would  suggest  it.  The  fact  that  lie 
comes  in  to  utter  his  sentiments 
where  age  and  wisdom  had  failed  to 
suggest  the  truth,  and  when  pretend- 
ed sages  were  confounded  and  si- 
lenced, would  suggest  it.  The  tact 
that  he  claims  to  be  in  the  place  of 
God,  and  that  a  cause  might  be  man- 
aged before  him  as  if  it  were  before 
God,  and  yet  that  he  was  a  man  like 
others,  and  that  no  advantage  would 
be  taken  to  overawe  by  mere  njajesty 
and  power,  are  all  circumstances  that 
would  constitute  a  strong  and  \  ivid  re- 
semblance. But  I  see  no  evidence  that 
this  was  the  design  of  the  introduction 
of  the  character  oi"Elihu,  and  interest- 
ing as  the  comparison  might  be,  and 
desirable  as  it  may  seem  that  the  book 
of  Job  should  be  found  to  contain  some 
reference  to  the  great  work  of  media- 
tion, yet  the  just  and  stern  laws  of  in- 
terpretation exclude  such  a  reference 
in  the  absence  of  proof,  and  do  not 
allow  us  to  luxuriate  in  the  concep- 
tions of  fancy,  however  pious  tlie  re- 
flections might  he,  or  to  search  for 
typical  characters  where  the  Spirit  o, 
inspiration  has  not  revealed  them  as 
such,  however  interesting  or  edifying 
might  be  the  contemplation. 

8.  Surchj  thou  hast  spoken  in  mine 
hearing.  Marg.  as  in  lieb.  cars.  This 
shows  that  Elihu  had  been  present 
during  the  debate,  and  had  attentively 
listened  to  wliat  luid  been  said.  He 
now  takes  up  the  main  point  on  which 
he  supposed  that  Job  had  erred — the 
attempt  to  justify  himself.  He  pro- 
fesses to  adduce  the  very  words  which 
he  had  used,  and  disclaims  all  design 
of  judging  from  mere  hearsay. 

9.  /  can  clean.     I  am  pure  and  lioly 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


143 


gression,  I  am  innocent ;  neither 
is  there  iniquity  in  me. 

10  Behold,  he  findeth  occa- 
sions against  me,  he  °  counteth 
me  for  his  enemy  ; 

a  c.  19.  11.         6  c.  13.  27.         c  Da.  4.  35. 

11  IVilhnut  transgression.  Job  had 
not  used  these  very  expressions,  nor 
li;id  lie  intended  to  maintain  that  he 
was  absolutely  free  from  sin.  See  ch. 
ix.  ^0.  He  had  maintained  that  he 
was  not  chargeable  with  the  trans- 
gressions of  which  his  three  friends 
maintained  that  lie  was  guilty,  and  in 
doing  that  he  had  used  strong  lan- 
guage, and  language  which  even 
seemed  to  imply  that  l>e  was  without 
transgression.  See  ch.  ix.  30,  x.  7, 
xiii.  1^3,  xvi.  17.  fi  I mn  innocent.  The 
word  Ivere  used  (»^iT')  is  from  the  verb 
t^an — to  cover.,  to  protect ;  and  also, 
as  a  secondary  meaning,  from  the 
Arabic,  to  rub,  to  wipe  olF;  to  wash 
away,  to  lave.  Hence  it  denotes  that 
which  is  rubbed  clean,  washed,  pure 
— and  then  innocent.  The  word  oc- 
curs only  in  this  place.  It  is  not  the 
exact  language  which  Job  had  used, 
and  there  seems  to  be  some  injustice 
done  him  in  saying  that  he  liad  em- 
ployed such  language.  Elihu  means, 
doubtless,  that  he  had  used  language 
which  implied  this,  or  whicli  was 
equivalent  to  it. 

10.  Behold,  he  findeth  occasions 
against  me.  That  is,  God.  Tliis  is  not 
exactly  the  language  of  Job,  though 
much  that  he  had  said  had  seemed 
to  imply  this.  The  idea  is,  that  God 
sought  opportunity  to  oppose  him  ; 
that  he  was  desirous  to  find  in  him 
some  ground  or  reason  for  punishing 
him  ;  that  he  wished  to  be  hostile  to 
him,  and  was  narrowly  on  the  watch 
to  find  an  opportunity  which  would 
justify  his  bringing  calamity  upon 
him.  The  word  rendered  occasions 
_nW2n,  is  from  X15 ,  in  Hiphil 
Jt^Jfl — to  refuse,  decline  ;  to  hinder, 
restrain.  Num.  xxx.  6,  9,  12 ;  and 
hence  the  noun  means,  a  holding  back, 
a    teithdrawal,    an    alienation ;     and 


11  He  ^  putteth  my  feet  in 
the  stocks,  he  mcti-keth  '  all  my 
paths. 

12  Behold,  in  this  thou  art 
not  just  :  1  will  answer  thee, 
that  God  is  greater  than  man. 

hence  the  idea  is,  that  God  s-ovght 
to  be  alienated  from  Job.  The  Vul- 
gate renders  it,  "  He  seeks  complaints 
{querelas)  against  me."  The  LXX, 
/iffiipir — accusation.  Unibreit,  Feind- 
s/iajt,  enmity.  So  Gesenius  and  Noyes. 
1l  Hecounteth  me  for  his  enemy.  Tliis 
is  language  which  Job  had  used.  See 
ch.  xix.  11. 

11.  He  putteth  my  feet  in  the  stocks. 
This  also  is  language  which  Job  had 
used.  See  ch.  xiii.27.  H  He  vuirheth 
all  my  paths.  In  ch.  xiii.  27,  "  Thou 
lookest  narrowly  unto  all  my  paths." 
See  Notes  on  that  verse. 

12  Behold,  in  this  thou  art  not  just. 
In  this  view  of  God,  and  in  these  re- 
flections on  his  character  and  gov- 
ernment. Such  language  in  regard 
to  the  Deity  cannot  be  vindicated  ; 
such  views  cannot  be  right.  It  can- 
not be  that  he  wishes  to  be  the  f6e  of 
man  ;  that  he  watches  with  a  jealous 
eye  every  movement  with  a  view  to 
find  something  that  will  justify  him 
in  bringing  heavy  calamities  upon 
his  creatures,  or  that  he  sets  himself 
a-s  a  spy  upon  the  way  in  wliich  man 
goes,  in  order  to  find  out  something 
that  shall  make  it  proper  for  him  to 
treat  him  as  an  enemy.  It  cannot  be 
denied  that  Job  had  indulged  in  lan- 
guage making  substantially  such  re- 
presentations of  God,  and  that  he  had 
thus  given  occasion  for  ihe  reproof  ot 
Eliliu.  It  can  as  little  be  denied  that 
such  thouglits  frequently  pass  through 
the  minds  of  the  afflicted,  thougli 
they  do  not  express  them  in  words, 
nor  is  it  less  doubtful  tiial  they  should 
be  at  once  banished  from  the  soul. 
They  cannot  be  true.  It  cannot  be 
that  God  thus  regards  and  treats  his 
creatures ;  that  he  wishes  to  find 
'  occasion  '  in  them  to  make  it  proper 
for  him  to  bring  calamity  upon  them, 
or  that  he  desires  to  regard  thein  as 


144 


JOB. 


13  Why  dost  thou  strive  ' 
against  him  ?  for  he  '  giveth  not 
account  '  of  any  of  his  matters. 


1  ans^cereth  not. 


his  foes.  IT  I  will  answer  thee.  That 
is,  '  I  will  sliow  that  this  view  is  un- 
just.' This  lie  does  in  the  subsequent 
\erses  by  slating  what  he  supposes  to 
lie  the  real  design  of  afflictions,  and 
by  showing  that  God  in  these  trials 
had  a  good  and  benevolent  object. 
IT  That —  "^3  .  Rather,  because,  or  for. 
The  object  is  not  to  show  that  God 
was  greater  than  man — for  that  could 
not  be  a  matter  of  information,  but  to 
show  that  because  he  was  far  above 
man  he  had  great  and  elevated  ob- 
jects in  his  dealings  with  him,  and 
man  should  submit  to  him  without  a 
murmur.  U  God  is  greater  than  man. 
The  meaning  of  this  is,  that  man 
should  suppose  that  God  has  good 
reasons  for  all  that  he  does,  and  that 
he  might  not  be  qualified  to  under- 
stand the  reason  of  his  doings.  He 
should  therefore  acquiesce  in  his  ar- 
rangements, and  not  call  in  question 
the  equity  of  the  divine  dealings.  In 
all  our  trials  it  is  well  to  remember 
tliat  God  is  greater  than  we  are.  He 
knows  what  is  best ;  and  though  we 
may  not  be  able  to  see  the  reason  of 
his  doings,  yet  it  becomes  us  to  ac- 
quiesce in  his  superior  wisdom. 

13.  If'hy  dost  thou  strive  against 
h^m  ?  By  refusing  to  submit  to  him, 
and  by  calling  in  question  his  wisdom 
and  goodness.  H  Fur  he  giveth  not 
accovnt  of  any  of  his  matters.  Marg. 
as  in  Hel).  ansioercth  not.  The  idea 
is,  that  it  is  as  useless  as  it  is  im- 
proper to  contend  with  God.  He 
does  ills  own  pleasure,  and  deals  with 
man  as  he  deems  best  and  right.  The 
reason  of  his  doings  he  does  not  state, 
nor  has  man  any  power  to  extort 
from  him  a  statement  of  the  causes 
why  he  afflicts  us.  This  is  still  true. 
The  reason  of  jiis  doings  he  does  not 
often  make  known  to  the  afflicted, 
and  it  is  impossible  to  know  noic  the 
causes  why  he  has  brought  on  us 
the    calamity    with    which    we    are 


14  For  God  speaketh  once, 
yea,  twice,,  yet  man  perceiveth  it 
not. 


visited.  The  general  reasons  why  men 
are  afflicted  may  be  better  known 
now  than  they  were  in  the  time  of 
Elihu,  for  successive  revelations  have 
tlirown  much  light  on  that  subject. 
But  when  he  comes  and  afflicts  us  as 
individuals;  when  he  takes  away  a 
beloved  child  ;  when  he  cuts  down 
the  voung,  the  vigorous,  the  useful, 
and  the  pious,  it  is  often  impossible  to 
luiderstand  ichy  he  has  done  it.  All 
that  we  can  do  then  is  to  submit  to 
his  sovereign  will,  and  to  believe  that 
! hough  we  cannot  see  the  reasons 
why  he  has  done  it,  yet  that  does  not 
prove  that  there  are  no  reasons,  or 
that  we  may  neverhe  permitted  to  un- 
derstand them.  We  are  required  to 
submit  to  his  will,  not  to  our  own 
reason  ;  to  acquiesce  because  he  does 
it,  not  because  wc  see  it  to  be  right.  If 
we  always  understood  the  reasons 
why  he  afflicts  us,  our  resignation 
would  be  not  to  the  will  of  God,  but 
to  our  own  knowledge  of  what  is 
right ;  and  God,  therefore,  often  passes 
before  us  in  clouds  and  thick  dark- 
ness to  see  whether  we  have  sufficient 
confidence  in  him  to  believe  that  he 
does  right,  even  when  we  cannot  see 
or  understand  the  reason  of  his  doings. 
So  a  child  reposes  the  highest  confi- 
dence in  a  parent,  when  he  believes 
that  the  parent  will  do  right,  though 
he  cannot  understand  why  he  does 
it,  and  tlie  parent  does  not  choose  to 
let  him  know.  May  not  a  father  see 
reasons  for  what  he  does  which  a 
child  could  not  understand,  or  which 
it  miglit  be  proper  for  him  to  with- 
hold from  him  .' 

J 4.  For  God  speaketh  once.  The 
object  of  what  is  here  said  is,  to  show 
the  reason  why  God  brings  affliction 
upon  men,  or  to  explain  the  prin- 
ciples of  his  government,  which  Elihu 
supposed  had  been  sadly  misunder- 
stood by  Job  anc'  his  friends.  The 
reascn  why  he  brings  affliction,  Elihu 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


145 


15  In  a  dream,  in  a  vision  of 
the  night,  when  deep  sleep  ffill- 
eth  upon  men,  in  slumberings 
upon  the  bed, 

says,  is  because  all  other  means  of 
reclaiming  and  restraining  men  fail. 
He  comuiunicates  his  will  to  them  ; 
he  speaks  to  them  again  and  again  in 
dreams  and  \  isinns  ;  he  warns  them 
of  the  error  of  their  course  (vs.  14- 
17),  and  when  this  is  all  inetlectual, 
lie  brings  upon  them  aiHiction.  He 
lays  tliem  upon  their  bed  where  they 
must  reflect,  and  where  there  is  hope 
that  they  may  be  reclaimed  and  re- 
formed, vs.  13-28.  IT  Yea,  twice. 
He  does  not  merely  admonish  him 
once.  He  repeats  the  admonition 
when  man  refuses  to  hear  him  the 
first  time,  and  takes  all  the  methods 
which  he  can  by  admonition  and 
warning  to  withdraw  him  from  his 
wicked  purpose,  and  to  keep  him 
from  ruin.  If  Yet  man  perceivcth  it 
not.  Or,  rather,  '  Although  he  does 
not  perceive  it  or  attend  to  it.'  Though 
the  sinner  is  regardless  of  the  admo- 
nition, yet  still  God  repeats  it,  and 
endeavors  to  save  him  from  the  com- 
mission of  the  crimes  which  would 
lead  him  to  ruin.  This  is  designed 
to  sliow  the  patience  and  forbearatice 
of  God,  and  how  many  means  he 
takes  to  save  the  sinner  from  ruin. 
Of  the  truth  of  \\'ba.t  Elihu  here  says, 
there  can  be  no  difference  of  opinion. 
It  is  one  of  the  great  principles  of  the 
divine  administration  that  the  sinner 
is  often  warned,  though  he  heeds  it 
not  ;  and  that  God  sends  repeated  ad- 
monitions even  when  men  will  not 
regard  them,  but  are  bent  on  their 
own  ruin. 

15.  In  a  dream.  This  was  one  of 
the  methods  by  which  the  will  of 
God  was  made  known  in  the  early 
periods  of  the  world.  See  Notes  on 
ch.  iv.  12-17.  And  for  a  fuller  ac- 
count of  this  metliod  of  communicat- 
ing the  divine  will,  see  Introduction 
to  Isaiah,  §  7.  (2.)  IT  In  a  vision  of 
the  night.  Notes  ch.  iv.  13.  Comp. 
Intro,  to  Isa.  §  7.  (4.)     IT  When  deep 

VOL.  II.  7 


16  Then  he  '  openeth  the  ears 
of  men,  and  sealeth  their  instruc- 
tion, 

1  revealeth,  or  uncovereth. 

sleep  fall eth  upon  men.  This  may  be 
designed  to  intimate  move  distinctly 
that  it  was  from  God.  It  was  not  the 
effect  of  disturbed  and  broken  rest ; 
not  such  fancies  as  come  into  the 
mind  between  sleeping  and  waking, 
but  the  visitations  of  the  divine 
Spirit  in  the  profoundest  repose  of 
the  night.  The  word  rendered  "  deep 

sleep  "  ('^''9!!'1^)  is  one  that  denotes 
the  most  profound  repose.  It  is  not 
merely  sleep,  but  it  is  sleep  of  the 
soundest  kind — that  kind  w-hen  we 
do  not  usually  dream.  See  Notes  on 
ch.  iv.  13.  The  Chaldee  has  here 
rendered  it  correctly,  >vF!p'25  NriJi^ 
— sleep  that  13  deep.  The  LXX  ren- 
der it,  ihivoc;  (fiojioq — dread  horror. 
The  Syriac  renders  thi.s  verse,  "  Not 
by  tlie  lips  does  he  teach  ;  by  dreams 
and  visions  of  the  night,"  &c.  H  In 
slumherings  upon  the  bed.  The  word 
TewAeveAslumheriiigs  (DT'I^jri)  means 
a  light  sleep,  as  contradistinguished 
from  very  profound  repose.  Our 
word  slumber  conveys  the  exact  idea. 
The  meaning  of  the  whole  is,  that 
God  speaks  to  men  when  their  senses 
are  locked  in  repose — alike  in  the 
profound  sleep  when  they  do  not 
ordinarily  dream,  and  in  the  gentle 
and  light  slumbers  when  the  sleep 
is  easily  broken.  In  what  way, 
however,  they  were  '  to  distinguish 
such  communications  from  ordinary 
dreams,  we  have  no  information.  It 
is  scarcely  necessary  to  remark  that 
what  is  here  and  elsewhere  said  in 
the  Scriptures  about  dreams,  is  no 
warrant  for  putting  any  confidence 
in  them  now  as  if  they  were  revela- 
tions from  heaven. 

16.  The7i  he  openeth  the  ears  of  men 
Marg.  as  in  Heb.  revealeth,  or  uncover 
eth.  The  idea  is,  that  lie  then  re 
veals  to  the  ear  of  man  important 
admonitions  or  counsels.  He  com- 
municates   valuable   truth.     We  ar« 


146 


JOB. 


17  That  he   may  withdraw  " 

a  c.  17.  11.         \  work.         b  l»a.  23.  9. 

not  to  understand  this  as  saying  that 
the  sleeper  actually  hears  God  speak, 
but  as  the  ear  is  the  organ  of  iiear- 
ing,  it  is  employed  here  to  denote 
that  God  then  counnunicates  his  will 
to  men.  In  what  way  he  had  access 
to  the  souls  of  men  by  dreams,  it  is 
impossible  to  explain.  H  Jlud  sealeth 
thiir  instruction.  Literally,  '  In  their 
admonition  he  seals  ;'  or  he  affixes  a 
seal.  The  idea  is,  that  he  makes  the 
admonition  or  instruction  as  secure  as 
if  a  seal  were  affixed  to  it.  A  seal 
ratified  or  confirmed  a  contract,  a 
will,  or  a  deed,  and  the  sense  here  is, 
that  the  communications  of  God  to 
the  soul  were  as  firm  as  if  they  had 
been  ratified  in  like  manner.  Or  pos- 
sibly it  may  mean,  that  the  warnings 
of  God  were  communicated  to  the 
soul  like  a  sealed  letter  or  message 
unknown  to  any  other  ;  that  is,  were 
made  privately  to  the  indivdual  him- 
self in  the  slumbers  of  the  night. 
Others  have  understood  the  word 
xenAexsA  instruction.,  as  denoting  cas- 
tigation,  or  pimishment,  and  accord- 
ing to  that  explanation  the  meaning 
would  be,  that  he  announces  to  them 
certain  punishment  if  tiiej-  continued 
in  sin  ;  he  made  it  as  certain  to  them 
as  if  it  were  ratified  by  a  seal.  So 
RosenmUUer  and  Mercer.  Schultens 
supposes  it  to  be  equivalent  to  in- 
spires them,  or  communicates  instruc- 
tion by  inspiration  as  if  it  were  con- 
firmed and  ratified  by  a  seal.  He 
observes  that  the  Arabic  word  *J"^ 

— lihathamis  often  used  in  the  Koran, 
meaning  to  inspire.  The  LXX  ren- 
der it,  acroii?  iifq)6,^t]a(.i — "he  ter- 
rifies them" — where  they  evidently 
read  Onn'i  instead  of  chn:  .  The 
sense  is,  that  God  communicates 
warnings  to  men  on  their  beds,  in  a 
manner  as  solemn  and  impressive  as 
if  it  were  ratified  with  a  seal,  and 
made  as  secure  as  possible. 

17.  That  he  may  icithdraic  man 
from  his  purpose.  Marg.  loork.  The 
sense  is  plain.     God  designs  to  warn 


mRTifroin  his  '  purpose,  and  hide 
pride  *  from  man. 


him  of  the  consequences  of  executing 
a  plan  of  iniquity.  He  alarms  him 
by  showing  him  that  his  course  will 
lead  to  punishment,  and  by  represent- 
ing to  him  in  the  night  visions,  the 
dreadful  woes  of  the  future  world 
into  which  he  is  about  to  plunge. 
The  object  is  to  deter  him  from  com- 
mitting the  deed  of  guilt  whicji  he 
had  contemplated,  and  to  turn  him  to 
the  paths  of  righteousness.  Is  it  un- 
reasonable to  suppose  that  the  same 
thing  may  occur  now,  and  that  God 
may  have  a  purpose  in  the  dreams 
which  often  visit  the  man  who  has 
formed  a  plan  of  iniquity,  or  who  is 
living  a  life  of  sin  .''  It  cannot  be 
doubted  that  such  men  often  have 
alarming  dreams  ;  that  these  dreams 
are  such  as  are  fitted  to  deter  them 
from  the  commission  of  their  contem- 
plated wickedness  ;  and  that  in  fact 
they  not  unfrequently  do  it.  A'v^hat 
shall  hinder  us  from  supposing  that 
God  intends  that  tlie  workings  of  the 
mind  when  the  senses  are  locked  in 
repose,  shall  be  the  means  of  alarming 
the  guilty,  and  of  leading  them  to  re- 
flection .'  Why  should  not  mind  thus 
be  its  own  admonisher,  and  be  made 
the  instrument  of  restraining  the 
guilty  then,  as  really  as  by  its  sober 
reasonings  and  reflections  when 
awake  ?  JMany  a  wicked  man  has 
been  checked  in  a  career  of  wicked- 
ness by  a  frightful  dream  ;  and  not  a 
few  have  been  brought  to  a  degree  of 
reflection  which  has  resulted  in  sound 
con%ersion  by  the  alarm  caused  on 
the  mind  by  having  the  consequences 
of  a  career  of  wickedness  traced  out 
in  the  visions  of  the  night.  The  case 
of  Colonel  Gardiner  cannot  be  fiirgot- 
ten — though  in  that  instance  it  was 
rather  'a  vision  of  the  night "  than  a 
dream.  He  was  meditating  an  act  of 
wickedness,  and  was  alone  in  his 
room  awaiting  the  appointed  hour. 
In  the  silence  of  the  night,  and  in  the 
solitude  of  his  room,  he  se.e7nedto  see 
the  Saviour  on  the  cross.  This  view, 
however  it  may  be  accounted  for,  re 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


147 


IS  He  keepeth  back  his  soul 
from  tlie  pit,  and  his  life  fiom 
'  perishing  by  the  sword. 

1  pausing  by.  a  Pa.  107.  IT. 

slr.'uned  liim  from  tlve  contomplated 
act  of  wickedness,  ^id  he  became  an 
eminently  pi  oils  man.  See  Uoddridge's 
Lil'e  of  (^ol.  Gardiner.  The  mind, 
witli  all  its  faculties,  is  under  the 
control  of  God,  and  no  one  can  de- 
monstrate that  lie  does  not  make  its 
actings,  even  in  the  wiuiderings  of  a 
tlream,  the  designed  means  of  clieck- 
iiig  tlie  sinner,  and  of  saving  the  soul. 
1i  .Ind  hide  pride  from  man.  Probably 
the  particular  thing  which  Elihuhere 
referred  to,  was  pride  and  arrogance 
tuirards  God ;  or  an  insolent  bearing 
towards  him,  and  a  reliance  on  one's 
own  merits.  This  was  the  particular 
thing  in  Job  which  Elihu  seems  to 
have  thought  required  animadversion, 
and  probably  he  I'iieant  to  intimate 
that  all  men  liad  such  communica- 
tions from  God  by  dreams  as  to  save 
them  from  such  arrogance. 

18.  He  kccpeth  hack  his  soul  from 
(he  pit.  The  word  soul  in  the  He- 
brew is  often  equivalent  to  scJf  and 
tlie  idea  is,  that  he  keeps  the  man 
from  the  pit  in  this  manner.  The 
object  of  these  warnings  is  to  keep 
him  frojn  rnsiiing  on  to  his  own  de- 
struction. The  word  rendered  pit — 
'"'!!'"^  ,  properly  means  a  jnt,  or  pit- 
fall, in  which  traps  are  laid  for  wild 
animals,  Ps.  vii.  16,  i.x.  16;  then  a 
cistern  that  is  miry,  Job  ix.  31 ;  a 
prison,  Isa.  li.  14  ;  then  the  grave,  or 
sepulchre,  as  being  often  a  cavern, 
Job  xvii.  14.  Ps.  XXX.  10.  See  vs. 
28,  30,  of  this  chapter.  It  evidently 
means  here  the  grave,  and  the  sense 
is,  that  God  thus  warns  men  against 
pursuing  a  course  of  conduct  which 
would  lead  them  to  destruction,  or 
would  speedily  terminate  their  lives. 
IT  .'ind  his  life  from  perishing  ly  the 
sicord.  Marg.  passing  by.  TJie  mean- 
ing of  the  Hebrew  may  be,  '  to  keep 
his  life  from  passing  arcuy  by  the 
pvvord;'  as  if  the  sword  were  the 
means  by  which  the  life  or  soul  pass- 


Id  He  "  IS  chastened  also  with 
pain  upon  his  bed,  and  the  mul- 
titude of  his  bones  with  strong 
pain  ; 

ed  from  the  body.  The  word  render- 
ed sicord  here —  ^i''^  is  from  iTlptti 
—to  send,  cast,  hurl,  and  the  refer- 
ence is  rather  to  something  scjit,-ds  of 
nn  arrow,  dart,  javelin,  tlian  to  a 
sword.  The  sense  is  not  materially 
varied,  and  the  idea  referred  to  is  that 
of  a  violent  death.  The  meaning  is, 
that  God  by  these  warnings  would 
keep  a  man  from  such  a  course  of  lile 
as  would  lead  to  a  death  by  violence 
— cither  by  punishment  for  his  crime, 
or  by  being  cut  oft' in  war. 

1!).  He  is  chastened  also  xoith  pain. 
As  another  means  of  checking  and 
restraining  him  from  the  commission 
of  sin.  Wlien  the  waruings  of  the 
night  fail,  and  when  lie  is  bent  on  a 
life  of  sin,  then  God  lays  him  on  a 
bed  of  pain,  and  he  is  brought  to  re- 
flection there.  There  he  lias  an  op- 
portunity to  think  of  his  life,  and  oi 
all  the  consequences  which  must  fol- 
low from  a  career  of  iniquity.  This 
involves  the  main  inquiry  before  the 
disputants.  It  was,  why  men  were 
afflicted.  The  three  friends  of  Job 
had  said  that  it  was  a  full  proof  of 
wickedness,  and  that  when  the  pro- 
fessedly pious  were  afflicted  it  was 
demonstrative  of  insincerity  and  hy- 
pocrisy. Job  had  called  tiiis  position 
in  question,  and  proved  that  it  could 
not  be  so,  but  still  was  at  a  loss  why 
it  was.  Elihn  now  says,  that  afHic- 
tion  is  a  part  of  a  disciplinary  gov- 
ernment; that  it  is  one  of  the  means 
which  God  adopts,  when  warnings 
are  ineffectual,  to  restrain  men  and  to 
bring  them  to  reflection  and  repent- 
ance. This  appears  to  liave  been  a 
view  which  was  almost  entirely  new 
to  them.  IT  And  the  multitude  of  his 
hones  with  strong  pain.  The  bones, 
as  has  before  been  remarked,  it  was 
s'jpposed  might  be  the  seat  of  the 
acutest  pain.  See  Notes  on  ch.  xxx. 
17.  Comp.  ch.  XX.  11,  vii.  1.^),  xxx 
30.     The  meaning  hero  is,  that  tin? 


148 


JOB. 


20  So  that  his  life  abhorrcth  1      22  Yea,  his  soul  draweth  near 
bread,  and  his  soul  '  dainty  meat.  |  unto  the  grave,  and  his  life  to 

21  His     flesh     is    consumed    the  destroyers. 


away,  that  it  cannot  be  seen  ; 
and  his  bones  that  were  not 
seen,  stick  out. 

I  meat  of  desire. 

frame  was  racked  with  intense  suffer- 
ing in  order  to  udmonisli  men  of  sin, 
to  save  tiiem  from  plunging  into 
deeper  transgression,  and  to  bring 
them  to  repentance. 

20.  So  that  his  life  abhorrcth  Ircad. 
It  is  a  common  effect  of  sickne-ss  to 
take  away  tlie  appetite.  Elihu  here 
regards  it  ns  a  part  of  the  wholesome 
discipline  of  the  sufferer.  He  lias  no 
relish  for  the  comforts  of  life.  II  «c?«f/ 
his  sold  dainty  meat.  Marg.  v^cat  of 
desire.  The  Hebrew  is,  '  food  of 
desire.'  The  word  rendered  meat 
(pzi^pz)  does  not  denote  animal  food 
only,  but  any  kind  of  food.  So  the 
old  English  word  meat  wa*  used. 
The  idea  is,  that  the  sick  man  loathe-s 
the  most  delicate  food.  It  is  a  part 
of  his  discipline  that  the  pleasure 
which  he  had  in  the  days  of  his 
liealth  is  now  taken  away. 

21.  His  flesh  is  consumed  aicatj., 
that  it  cannot  be  seen.  He  wastes 
away.  His  flesh,  once  vigorous, 
beautiful,  and  fair,  now  disappears. 
This  is  not  a  mere  description  of  the 
nature  of  his  sickness,  but  it  is  a  de- 
scription of  the  disciplinary  arrange- 
ments of  God.  It  is  nn  important 
part  of  his  aflliction,  as  a  part  of  the 
discipline,  that  his  flesh  vanishes, 
and  that  his  appearance  is  so  changed 
that  he  becomes  repulsive  to  the 
view.  H  Jlnd  his  bones  that  2cerc  nut 
seen,  stick  out.  His  bones  were  be- 
fore invisible.  They  were  carefully 
concealed  by  the  rounded  muscle, 
and  by  the  fat  wh.ich  filled  up  the 
interstice.^!,  so  that  they  were  not  offen- 
sive to  the  view.  But  now  the  pro- 
tuberances of  his  bones  can  be  seen, 
for  God  has  reduced  him  to  the  con- 
dition of  a  skeleton.  This  is  one  of 
the  common   cflects  of  disease,   and 


23  If  there  be  a  messenger 
with  him,  an  interpreter,  one 
among  a  thousand,  to  show  unto 
man  his  uprightness  ; 


this  shows  the  strength  of  the  disci- 
pline which  God  conterrtplates.  The 
parts  of  the  human  frame  which  in 
health  are  carefully  hid  from  the 
view,  as  being  unsightly,  become 
now  prominent,  and  can  be  hidden 
no  longer.  One  design  is  to  humble 
us  ;  to  take  away  the  pride  which 
delighted  in  the  round  and  polished 
limb,  the  rose  on  the  cheek,  the  ruby 
lip,  and  the  smooth  forehead  ;  and  lo 
show  us  what  we  shall  soon  be  in  the 
grave. 

22.  Yea,  his  soul  draiceth  ncii-r  unto 
the  grace.  That  is,  he  himself  does, 
for  the  word  so^^l  is  often  used  to  de- 
note self.  H  Jlnd  his  life  to  the  de- 
stroyers—  t'^r'^'r--  Literally,  'to 
those  causing  death.'  The  interpre- 
tation c-ominonly  given  of  this  is, 
'  the  angels  of  death  '  who  were  sup- 
posed to  come  to  close  human  life. 
Comp.  2  Sam.  xxiv.  16,  17.  But  it 
probably  refers  to  diseases  and  pangs 
as  having  power  to  terminate  life,  and 
being  tlie  cause  of  the  close  of  life. 
The  meaning  is,  that  the  afflicted  man 
comes  very  near  to  those  acute  suliVr- 
ings  which  terminate  life,  and  which 
by  personification  are  liere  rej)rescnt- 
ed  as  the  authors  of  death. 

23.  If  there  be  a  messenger  irith 
him.  This  part  of  the  speecJi  of  Eli- 
hu has  given  rise  to  scarcely  less 
diversity  of  opinion,  and  to  scarcely 
less  discussion,  than  the  celebrated 
passage  in  ch.  xix.  25-27.  Almost 
every  interpreter  has  had  a  peculiar 
view  of  its  meaning,  and  of  course  it 
is  very  difiicult,  if  not  impossible,  to 
determine  its  true  sense.  Before  the 
opinions  which  have  been  entertained 
are  specified,  and  an  attempt  made  to 
determine  the  true  sense  of  the  pas- 
sage, it  may  be  of  interest  to  see  how 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


149 


it  is  presented  in  tiie  ancient  ver-  \ 
sions,  and  what  liglit  they  throw  on 
it.  The  Vulgate  renders  it,  "  It'there 
is  for  him  an  angel  speaking,  one  of 
thousands,  lliat  he  may  announce  tlie 
rigliteousness  of  the  nnin  ;  lie  will 
pity  him,  and  say,  Deliver  him  that 
iia  descends  not  into  corruption  :  I 
nave  found  him  in  v/hom  I  will  be 
propitious  to  liim  " — Invctii  in  quo  el 
propitier.  The  Septuagint  transla- 
tors render  it,  "  If  there  be  a  thousand 
angels  of  death  (ayyiXnt  O-aiarrjfn- 
nnt),  not  one  of  them  can  [mortally] 
wound  him  (tovjoi]  arroi')-  If  iie 
determine  in  his  heart  to  turn  to  the 
Lord,  when  he  shall  have  shown  man 
liis  charge  against  jiim,  and  ^hown 
his  folly,  he  will  support  him  that  he 
may  not  fall  to  death,  and  renew  his 
l>0(ly,  like  plastering  on  a  wall  (ojoTtfO 
dAo;^, »;i'  ^.Tt  Tof/nv),  and  will  fill  his 
hones  with  marrow,  and  make  his 
llesh  soft  like  an  infant."  The  Chal- 
dee  renders  it,  "  If  there  is  merit 
(xrillj  in  him,  an  angel  is  prepared, 
a  comforter  (^^"'^i^'jQ,  Paraclete^) 
[Gr.  TZaociyJ.ijToq},  one  among  a  thou- 
sand accusers  (^'■•T'l^"'^;^),  [Gr.  y.arr'i- 
ynon:;'},  that  he  may  announce  to  man 
his  rectitude.  And  he  spares  him, 
and  says.  Redeem  him,  tiiat  he  may 
not  descend  to  corruption  ;  I  liave 
found  a  ransom."  Schultens  has  di- 
vided the  opinions  which  have  been 
entertained  of  the  passage  into  lliree 
classes.  They  are,  I.  The  opinions 
of  those  who  suppose  that  by  the 
messenger,  or  angel,  here,  there  is 
reference  to  a  jnati.  Of  those  who 
liold  this  opinion,  he  enumerates  no 
less  than  seven  classe-s.  They  are 
such  as  these  :  (1)  those  who  hold 
that  the  man  referred  to  is  some  dis- 
tinguished instructor  sent  to  the  sick 
to  teach  them  the  will  of  God,  an 
opinion  held  by  Munster  and  Isido- 
rus  ;  (2)  those  who  refer  it  to  a  pro- 
phet, as  Junius  et  Tremillius ;  (3) 
Codurcus  supposes  that  there  is  refer- 
ence to  the  case  of  Abimelech,  who 
was  made  sick  on  account  of  Sarah, 
and  that  the  man  referred  to  was  a 
prophet,  who  annoui>ced  to  him  that 


God  was  righteous.  Gen.  xx.  The 
4th  and  5th  cases  slightly  vary  from 
these  specified.  (6.)  TJiose  who  hold 
that  Elihu  referred  to  himself  as  be- 
ing the  angel,  or  messenger,  that  God 
had  sent  to  make  knov.n  to  Job  the 
truth  in  regard  to  the  divine  govern- 
ment, and  the  reason  why  he  all!ict3 
men.  Of  this  opinion  was  Gusset, 
and  we  may  add  that  this  is  the  opin 
ion  of  Umbreit.  (7.)  Those  who 
suppose  that  some  faitliful  servaiU  of 
God  is  intended,  without  specifying 
who,  who  comes  to  the  sick  and 
afflicted,  and  announces  to  them  the 
reason  of  the  divine  dispensations. 
II.  The  second  class  of  opinions  is, 
that  an  angel  is  referred  to  here,  and 
that  the  meaning  is,  that  God  em- 
ploys angelic  beings  to  communicate 
his  will  to  men,  and  especially  to  the 
afflicted — to  make  known  to  them 
the  reason  why  they  are  afflicted, 
and  the  assurance  that  lie  is  willing 
to  show  mercy  to  them  if  they  will 
repent.  Of  those  who  liold  this, 
Schultens  mentions  (1)  the  I^XX, 
who  render  it,  "  the  angels  of  death  ;" 
(2)  the  Chaldee  Paraphrast,  who  un 
derstands  it  of  the  "  comforting  an- 
gel " — the  Paraclete  ;  (3)  the  opinion 
of  JMeroer,  who  supposes  it  to  refer  to 
a  good  angel,  who,  though  tliere  be  a 
tiioustind  of  a  contrary  description,  i. 
he  anno-unces  the  will  of  God,  and 
shows  the  true  reason  why  he  niHicls 
men,  inav  be  the  means  of  reclaiming 
them  ;  (4)  the  opinion  of  Clerc,  who 
regards  it  as  a  mere  hypothesis  of  JLli- 
hu,  saving  that  on  the  supposition 
that  an  angel  would  thus  visit  men, 
they  might  be  reclaimed  ;  (5)  the 
opinion  of  Grotius,  who  supposes  it 
reters  to  angels  regarded  as  media- 
tors, who  perform  their  office  of  me- 
diation in  two  ways — by  admonishing 
men,  and  by  praying  for  them.  This 
was  also  the  opinion  of  Maimonides 
(6.)  The  opinion  of  Jerome,  who 
supposes  that  it  refers  to  the  angel 
standing  in  the  presence  of  God,  and 
who  is  employed  by  him  in  admon- 
ishing and  correcting  mankind.  III. 
Tlie  third  class  of  opinions  consists 
of  those  who  refei  it  to  the  Messiah 


150 


JOB. 


Of  those  who  have  held  tlii%  opin- 
ion, tlie  following  may  he  mention- 
ed :  Cocceius — of  course;  Calovius, 
(Schniidius,  and  Augustine.  Amidst 
this  diversity  of  sentiment,  it  is  diffi- 
cult, if  not  impossihle,  to  determine 
the  real  meaning  of  the  passage.  The 
gcjierul  sentiment  is  indeed  plain.  It 
is,  that  God  visits  men  with  affliction 
in  order  to  restrain  them  from  sin,  and 
to  correct  them  when  thej-  have  erred. 
It  is  not  from  hostility  to  them  ;  not 
from  mere  justice  ;  not  because  he 
delights  in  their  sufi'erings  ;  and  not 
because  he  wishes  to  cut  them  ofl". 
They  may  sufter  much  and  long,  as 
Job  had  done,  without  knowing  the 
true  reason  why  it  was  done.  They 
may  form  erroneous  views  of  the 
design  of  the  divine  administration, 
and  suppose  that  God  is  severe  and 
harsh.  But  if  there  shall  come  a 
messenger,  in  such  circumstances, 
who  shall  explain  the  reason  of  the 
divine  dealings,  and  show  to  the 
sufferer  on  what  principles  God  in- 
fiict.s  pain  ;  and  if  the  sufferer  shall 
hear  the  message,  and  acquiesce  in 
the  divine  dealings,  tlien  God  would 
be  willing  to  be  merciful.  He  would 
say  that  he  was  satisfied  ;  the  object 
of  the  affliction  was  accomplished, 
and  he  would  restore  the  afflicted  to 
health,  and  bestow  upon  him  the 
most  satisfactory  evidences  of  his 
own  favor.  An  e.vamination  of  the 
particular  words  and  phrases  occur- 
ring in  the  passage,  may  elucidate 
more  clearly  this  general  idea,  and 
lead  us  to  its  true  interpretation.  The 
word  translated  messcnger(T\'^.''^,md- 
I6k),  is  that  which  is  usually  employ- 
ed to  denote  an  angel.  It  means, 
properly,  one^wko  is  sent,  from  T|X^, 

to  send;  and  is  applied  (1)  to  one 
sent,  or  a  messenger,  see  ch.  i.  14, 
comp.  1  Sam.  xvi.  19  ;  (2)  to  a  mes- 
senger sent  from  God,  as  e.  g.  (a)  to 
angels,  since  angels  were  employed 
on  messages  of  mercy  or  judgment  to 
mankind,  Ex.  xxiii.  20.  2  Sam.  xxiv. 
16,  (b)  to  a  prophet  as  sent  from  God, 
Hagg.  i.  13.  Mai.  iii.  1,  (c)  to  a 
priest,   Eccl.  v.  6.  Mai.  ii.  7.     It  is 


rendered  here  by  Jerome,  angel,  and 
by  the  LXX,  angels  bringing  death 
So  far  as  the  v:ord  is  concerned,  it 
may  apply  to  amj  messenger  sent 
from  God — whether  an  angel,  a  pro- 
phet, or  the  IMessiah  ;  any  one  avIio 
should  be  commissioned  to  explain 
to  man  the  reason  why  afflictions 
were  sent,  and  to  communicate  llie 
assurance  that  God  was  ready  to  par- 
don. IT  ^n  interpreter.  That  is,  an 
angel-interjirctcr,  or  a  messenger  wiio 
should  be  an  interpreter.  Tiie  word 
^"'^^,  vielitz,  is  from  ^^^,  lutz,  to 
stammer ;  to  speak  in  a  barbarous 
tongue  ;  and  then,  in  Hiphil,  to  cause 
to  understand  a  foreign  language,  or 
to  explain  ;  to  interpret.  Hence  it 
means  one  who  explains  or  interprets 
that  which  was  obscure  ;  and  may 
mean  here  one  who  explains  to  the 
sufferer  the  true  principles  of  the  di- 
vine administration,  or  who  interprets 
the  design  of  the  divine  dealings.  In 
2  Chron.  xxxii.  31  it  is  rendered 
'  ambassadors  ' — referring  to  the  am- 
bassadors that  came  from  Babylon  to 
Hezekiah — rendered  in  the  margin, 
interpreters ;  in  Isa.  xliii.  27  it  is 
rendered  teachers,  in  the  margin  in- 
terpreters, referring  to  the  religious 
teachers  of  the  Jews,  or  those  who 
were  appointed  to  crplain  the  law  of 
God.  Gesenius  supposes  that  it 
means  here  the  same  as  intercessor, 
or  inter nunciiis,  and  that  the  phrase 
denotes  an  interceding  angel,  or  one 
interceding  with  God  for  men.  But 
there  is  no  instance  in  which  the 
word  ^"'?'?,  melitz,  is  so  employed, 
and  such  an  interpretation  is  not  de- 
manded b)'  the  connection  here. 
The  idea  involved  in  the  word  here 
is  immediately  explained  by  Elihu 
himself.  The -word  denotes  one  who 
would  'show  unto  man  his  upright- 
ness ;'  that  is,  who  would  be  able  to 
vindicate  the  righteousness  of  God, 
and  explain  his  dealings.  This  word, 
also,  may  therefore  be  applicable  to 
a  prophet,  a  sage,  an  angel,  or  the 
Mes«iah — to  any  one  who  would  be 
able  to  explain  and  interpret  the  di- 
vine dealings.     So  far  as  the  language 


CHAP'J'Ell  XXXllI. 


151 


IB  concerned,  there  is  no  reason  uliy 
it  should  not  be  applied  to  Eliliu 
himself.  U  One  avtvng  a  tlioiisand . 
i^wh  an  one  as  you  wonld  scarcely 
hope  to  find  among  a  thousand  ;  that 
is,  one  who  was  endowed  witli  a 
Iviiowledge  of  the  ways  of  God,  and 
wlio  was  qualified  for  this  work  in  a 
much  more  eminent  manner  than 
the  mass  of  men.  We  have  now  a 
similar  phrase  to  denote  a  man  emi- 
nent for  wisdom,  learnings  skill,  or 
moral  worth.  Tliis  language  is  such 
as  would  most  properly  be  applicable 
to  a  human  messenger.  One  would 
h;;rdl\'  think  of  making  such  distinc- 
tions among  angelic  beings,  or  of  im- 
plying that  an)-  one  of  them  might 
not  be  qualified  to  bear  a  message  to 
man,  or  that  it  was  necessary  to 
make  such  a  selection  as  is  implied 
by  the  phrase  here  to  explain  the 
dealings  of  God.  IF  To  shoio  unto 
man  his  uprightness.  This  is  the 
office  w'hich  the  interpreting-messen- 
ger  \\?is  to  perform.  The  '  upright- 
ne>s  '  referred  to  here,  I  suppose,  is 
that  of  God,  and  means  the  rectitude 
of  his  doings  ;  or,  in  a  more  general 
sense,  the  justness  of  his  character , 
the  equity  of  his  administration.  So 
explained,  it  would  mean  that  the 
messenger  would  come  to  show  that 
God  is  worthy  of  confidence  ;  that  he 
is  not  harsh,  stern,  severe,  and  cruel. 
Tlie  afflicted  person  is  supposed  to 
have  no  clear  views  on  this  point, 
but  to  regard  God  as  severe  and  un- 
merciful. Elihu  in  this  undoubtedly 
had  Job  in  his  eye,  as  entertaining 
views  of  God  which  were  far  from 
correct.  What  was  necessary,  lie 
said,  was,  that  some  one  would  come 
who  could  show  to  the  sufferer  that 
God  is  worthy  of  confidence,  and 
that  his  character  is  wholly  upright. 
Prof.  Lee  interprets  this  as  referring 
wholly  to  the  RIessiah,  and  as  denot- 
ing the  "righteousness  which  this 
Mediator  is  empowered  to  give  or 
impute  to  those  who  duly  seek  it ; 
and  thus,  as  a  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  to  make  it  out  as  their  due, 
by  means  of  the  ransom  so  found, 
offered,   and   accepted."     Noyes  ex- 


plains it  as  meaning  '■his  d^ity ;'  that 
is,  "  what  reason  and  religion  require 
of  a  man  in  his  situation  ;  repent- 
ance, submission,  and  prayer  to  God 
for  pardon."  But  it  seems  to  me 
more  natural  to  refer  it  to  the  great 
principles  of  the  divine  government, 
as  being  worthy  of  confidence.  Those 
principles  it  was  desirable  should  be 
so  explained  as  to  inspire  such  confi- 
dence, and  particularly  this  was  what 
Elihu  supposed  was  needed  bj-  Job. 
On  the  whole,  then,  it  seems  proba- 
ble that  Elihu,  in  this  passage,  by 
the  messenger  which  he  mentions, 
referred  to  some  one  who  should  per- 
form the  office  which  he  himself  pur- 
posed to  perform — some  man  well 
acquainted  with  the  principles  of  the 
divine  administration  ;  who  could 
explain  the  reasons  why  men  suffer  ; 
who  could  present  such  considera- 
tions as  should  lead  the  sufferer  to 
true  repentance  ;  and  who  could  as 
sure  him  of  the  divine  mercy.  The 
reasons  for  this  interpretation  may  be 
summed  up  in  few  words.  They 
are,  (J.)  That  this  is  all  that  is  fairly 
and  necessarily  implied  in  the  Ian 
guage,  or  such  an  interpretation  meets 
the  obvious  import  of  all  the  expres- 
sions, and  leaves  nothing  unexplain- 
ed. (2.)  It  accords  with  what  Elihu 
supposed  to  be  the  views  of  Job.  He 
regarded  him  as  having  improper  ap- 
prehensions of  the  government  of 
God,  and  of  the  reasons  why  afflic- 
tio-ns  were  sent  upon  him.  lie  had 
patiently  listened  to  all  that  he  had 
to  say  ;  had  heard  him  give  utterance 
to  much  that  seemed  to  be  in  the 
spirit  of  complaint  and  murmuring  ; 
and  it  was  manifest  to  Elihu  that  he 
had  not  had  right  apprehensions  of 
the  design  of  trials,  and  that  they  had 
not  produced  the  proper  effect  on  his 
mind.  He  still  needed  some  one— 
an  interpreter  sent  from  God — to  ex 
plain  all  this,  and  to  present  such 
views  us  should  lead  him  to  put  con- 
fidence in  God  as  a  God  of  mercy  and 
equity.  (3.)  It  accords  with  the  cha- 
racter which  Elihu  had  assumed,  and 
which  he  all  along  maintained.  He 
professed    to    come    from    God,    eh. 


152 


JOB. 


24  Then  he  is  gracious  unto    going  down  to  the  pit ;  I  have 
him,  and  saith,  Deliver  him  from    found  '  a  ransom. 

1  or,  an  atonement. 


xxxii.  8.  He  was  in  the  place  of 
God,  ch.  xxxiii.  6.  He  came  to  ex- 
plain the  whole  matter  which  had 
excited  so  long  and  so  warm  a  de- 
bate— a  debate  to  which  he  had 
attentively  listened,  and  where  nei- 
ther Job  nor  his  friends  had  stated 
the  true  principles  of  the  divine  ad- 
ministration. To  represent  himself 
now  as  having  a  clcio  to  the  reason 
wJiy  God  afflicts  men  in  this  manner, 
and  as  being  qualified  to  explain  the 
perplexing  subject,  was  in  accord- 
ance with  the  character  which  he 
maintained.  (4.)  It  accords  with 
the  effect  wliich  he  wished  to  pro- 
duce on  the  mind  of  Job.  He  wished 
to  bring  him  to  confide  in  God  ;  to 
show  Iiim  that  all  these  mysterious 
dealings  were  designed  to  bring  him 
back  to  his  Creator,  and  to  restore 
peace  and  confidence  to  his  agitated 
and  troubled  bosom.  While  Elihu, 
therefore,  advances  a  general  propo- 
sition, I  doubt  not  that  he  meant  to 
represent  himself  as  such  a  messen- 
ger sent  from  God  ;  and  though  in 
the  whole  of  his  speech  he  manifest- 
ed almost  the  extreme  of  modesty, 
yet  he. regarded  himself  as  qualified 
to  unravel  the  mystery.  That  it  re- 
fers to  the  Messiah  cannot  be  demon- 
strated, and  is  improbable  ;  for  (1.) 
It  is  nowhere  applied  to  him  in  the 
New  Testament — a  consideration  not 
indeed  decisive,  but  of  some  force, 
since  it  is  not  very  safe  to  apply  pas- 
sages to  him  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment without  such  authority.  At 
least,  the  general  rule  is  to  be  repu- 
diated and  rejected,  that  every  pas-  , 
sage  is  to  be  supposed  to  have  such  ! 
a  reference  which  can  be  possibly  i 
made  to  apply  to  him,  or  where  the 
language  can  be  made  to  describe  his  I 
person  and  offices.  (2.)  The  work  | 
of  the  '  interpreter,'  the  '  angel,'  or  ' 
'  messenger,'  referred  to  here,  is  not 
that  of  the  Messiah.  The  effect  i 
which  Elihu  says  would  be  produced  > 
would  be,  that  the  life  of  the  sufferer  | 


would  be  spared,  his  disease  remov- 
ed, and  his  flesh  restored  with  infan- 
tile freshness.  But  this  is  not  the 
work  which  the  Redeemer  came  to 
perform,  and  is  not  that  whicii  he 
actually  does.  (3.)  The  subject  here 
discussed  is  not  such  as  is  applicable 
to  the  work  of  the  Messiah.  It  is 
here  a  question  solely  about  the  de- 
sign of  affliction.  That  was  the  point 
to  be  explained ;  and  explanation  was 
what  was  needed,  and  what  was  pro- 
posed to  be  done.  But  this  is  not 
the  peculiar  work  of  the  Messiah. 
His  was  a  much  larger,  wider  office; 
and  even  if  this  had  been  his  wliole 
work,  how  would  the  reference  to 
that  have  met  the  point  under  dis- 
cussion ?  I  am  inclined,  therefore, 
to  the  opinion,  that  Elihu  had  him- 
self particularly  in  his  view,  and  that 
he  meant  to  represent  himself  as  at 
that  time  sustaining  the  character  of 
a  messenger  sent  from  God  to  explain 
important  principles  of  his  adminis- 
tration. 

24.  Then  he  is  gracious  unto  him. 
That  is,  on  the  supposition  that  he 
hears  and  regards  what  the  messen- 
ger of  God  communicates.  If  he 
rightly  understands  the  reasons  of 
the  divine  administration,  and  acqui- 
esces in  it,  and  if  he  calls  upon  God 
in  a  proper  manner  (ver.  26),  he  will 
show  him  mercy,  and  spare  him.  Or 
it  may  mean,  that  God  is  in  fact  gra- 
cious to  him  by  sending  him  a  mes- 
senger who  can  come  and  say  to  him 
that  it  is  the  divine  purpose  to  spare 
him  ;  that  he  is  satisfied,  and  will 
preserve  him  from  death.  If  such  h 
messenger  should  come,  and  so  an- 
nounce the  mercy  of  God,  then  he 
would  return  to  the  vigor  of  his  for- 
mer days,  and  be  fully  restored  to 
his  former  prosperity.  Elihu  refers 
probably  to  some  method  of  communi- 
cation, by  which  the  will  of  God  was 
made  known  to  the  sufferer,  and  by 
which  it  was  told  him  that  it  was 
God's  design   not  to  destroy,  but  to 


CIIAPTER  XXXIII. 


153 


discipline  and  save  him.  IT  Deliver 
him.  lleb.  ^■"•^'J^,  redeem  him.  The 
word  liere  used  (''^7?)  properly  means 
to  lei  loose,  to  cut  loose  ;  and  then 
to  buy  loose ;  that  is,  to  redeem,  to 
ransom  for  a  price.  Sometimes  it  is 
used  in  the  general  sense  of  freeing 
or  delivering,  without  reference  to  a 
price,  comp.  Dcut.  vii.  8.  Jer.  xv.  21. 
Ps.  xxxiv.  23.  Job  vi.  23  ;  but  usual- 
ly there  is  a  reference  to  a  price,  or  to 
some  valuable  consideration,  either 
expressed  or  implied.  Comp.  Notes 
on  Isa.  xliii.  3.  Here  the  appropriate 
idea  is  expressed,  for  it  is  said,  as  a 
reason  for  redeeming  or  rescuing  liim, 
'I  have  found  a  ransom.'  That  is, 
the  '  ransom  '  is  the  valuable  consid- 
eration on  ac('ount  of  which  he  was 
to  be  rescued  from  death.  ^  From 
going  down  to  the  pit.  The  grave  ; 
the  world  of  darkness.  Notes,  ver. 
18.  That  is,  he  would  keep  him 
alive,  and  restore  him  again  to  health. 
It  is  possible  that  by  the  word  pit 
here,  there  raaj"  be  a  reference  to  a 
place  of  punishment,  or  to  the  abodes 
of  the  dead  as  places  of  gloom  and 
horror,  especially  in  the  case  of  the 
wicked  ;  but  the  more  probable  inter- 
pretation is,  that  it  refers  to  death 
alone.  TT  /  hate  found.  That  is, 
there  is  a  ransom  ;  or,  I  have  seen  a 
reason  why  he  should  not  die.  The 
idea  is,  that  God  was  looking  for 
some  reason  on  account  of  which  it 
would  be  proper  to  release  the  suffer- 
er, and  restore  him  to  the  accustomed 
tokens  of  his  favor,  and  that  such  a 
ransom  had  now  appeared.  There 
was  now  no  necessity  why  those 
sufl'erings  should  be  prolonged,  and 
he  could  consistently  restore  him  to 
health.  IT  A  ransom.  Marg.  '  or,  an 
atonement.  Heb.  "i?3,  kopher.  On 
the  meaning  of  this  word,  see  Notes 
on  Isa.  xliii.  3.  The  expression  here 
means  that  there  was  something 
which  could  be  regarded  as  a  valua- 
able  consideration,  or  a  reason  why 
the  sufferer  should  not  be  further 
afflicted,  and  why  he  should  be  pre- 
served from  going  down  to  the  grave. 
What  that  price,  or  valuable  consid- 


eration was,  is  not  specified  ;  and 
what  was  the  actual  idea  which  Elihu 
attached  to  it,  it  is  now  impossible 
with  certainty  to  determine.  The 
connection  would  ratlier  lead  us  to 
suppose  that  it  was  something  seen 
in  the  suflerer  himself;  some  cliange 
wrought  in  his  mind  by  his  trials  ; 
some  evidence  of  acquiescence  in  the 
government  of  God,  and  some  mani- 
festation of  true  repentance,  which 
was  the  reason  why  the  stroke  of 
punishment  should  be  removed,  and 
why  the  sufferer  should  be  saved 
from  death.  This  might  be  called 
by  Elihu  '  a  ransom  ' — using  the  word 
in  a  very  large  sense.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  that  such  a  fact  often  oc- 
curs. God  lays  his  hand  on  his  err- 
ing and  wandering  children.  He 
brings  upon  them  afflictions  which 
would  consign  them  to  the  grave,  if 
they  were  not  checked.  Those  af- 
flictions are  effectual  in  the  case. 
They  are  the  means  of  true  repent- 
ance ;  they  call  back  the  wanderer  ; 
they  lead  him  to  put  his  trust  in  God, 
and  to  seek  his  happiness  again  in 
him  ;  and  this  result  of  his  trials  is  a 
reason  why  they  should  extend  no 
farther.  The  object  of  the  affliction 
has  been  accomplished,  and  the  peni- 
tence of  the  sufferer  is  a  sufficient 
reason  for  lightening  the  hand  of 
affliction,  and  restoring  him  again  to 
health  and  prosperity.  This  is  not 
properly  an  atonement,  or  a  ransom, 
in  the  sense  in  which  the  word  is 
now  technically  used,  but  the  Hebrew 
word  here  used  would  not  be  inap- 
propriately employed  to  convey  such 
an  idea.  Thus,  in  Ex.  xxxii.  30,  the 
intercession  of  Moses  is  said  to  be 
that  by  which  an  atonement  would 
be  made  for  the  sin  of  the  people. 
"  Moses  said  unto  the  people.  Ye 
have  sinned  a  great  sin  ;  and  now  I 
will  go  up  unto  the  Lord  ;  peradven 
ture  I  shall  make  an  atonement 
("T^S^X,  dhupperd,  from  ""£3,  hd- 
phdr),  for  your  sin."  Here,  it  is 
manifest  that  the  act  of  Moses  in  ma- 
king intercession  was  to  be  the  public 
reason,  or  the  'ransom,'  why  they 
were   not    to    be    punished.     So   the 


154 


JOB. 


25  His  flesh  shall  be  fresher 
than  '  a  child's  :  he  shall  return 
to  the  days  of  his  youth  : 

26  He  shall  pray  unto  God, 

1  childhood. 

boldness,  zeal,  and  fidelity  of  Phine- 
has  in  resisting  idolatry,  and  punish- 
ing those  who  had  been  guilty  of  it, 
are  spoken  of  as  the  atonement  or 
ransom  on  account  of  which  the 
plague  was  stayed,  and  the  anger  of 
God  removed  from  his  people.  Num. 
XXV.  12,  13,  "Behold,  1  give  unto 
him  my  covenant  of  peace — because 
he  was  zealous  for  his  God,  and 
made  an  atonement  ('15^'^!!')  for  the 
children  of  Israel."  Sept.  ^ftArtoaro. 
In  this  large  sense,  the  sick  man's 
repentance  might  be  regarded  as  the 
covering,  ransom,  or  public  reason 
why  he  should  be  restored.  That 
word  literally  means  that  which  cov- 
ers, or  overlays  any  thing  ;  and  then 
an  atonement  or  expiation,  as  being 
such  a  covering.  See  Gen.  vi.  14. 
Ex.  xxi.  30.  Cocceius,  Calovius, 
and  others  suppose  that  the  reference 
here  is  to  the  Messiah,  and  to  the 
atonement  made  by  him.  Schultens 
supposes  that  it  has  the  same  refer- 
ence by  anticipation — that  is,  that 
God  had  purposed  such  a  ransom, 
and  that  in  virtue  of  the  promised 
and  prefigured  expiation,  he  could 
now  show  mercy.  But  it  cannot  be 
demonstrated  tliat  Elihu  had  such  a 
reference  ;  and  tiiough  it  was  un- 
doubtedly true  that  God  designed  to 
show  mercy  to  men  only  through 
that  atonement,  and  that  it  was,  and 
is,  only  by  this  that  release  is  ever 
given  to  a  sufferer,  still,  it  does  not 
follow  that  Elihu  fully  understood 
this.  The  general  trutli  that  God 
was  merciful,  and  that  the  repentance 
of  the  sick  man  would  be  follov/ed  by 
a  release  from  suft'ering,  was  all  that 
can  reasonably  be  supposed  to  have 
been  understood  at  that  period  of  the 
world.  JVo?o,  we  know  the  reason, 
the  mode,  and  the  e.xtent  of  the  ran- 
som ;  and  taking  the  words  in  their 
broadest  sense,  we  may  go  to  all  suf- 


and  he  will  be  favourable  unto 
him  ;  and  he  shall  see  his  face 
with  joy  :  for  he  will  render  unto 
man  his  righteousness. 


ferers,  and  say,  that  they  may  be 
redeemed  from  going  down  to  tlie 
dark  cb.ambers  of  the  eternal  pit,  for 
God  has  found  a  ransom.  Jl  valuable 
consideration  has  been  oijered,  in  the 
blood  of  the  Redeemer,  which  is  an 
ample  reason  why  they  should  not 
be  consigned  to  hell,  if  they  are  truly 
penitent. 

25.  His  flesh  shall  be  fresher  than 
a  child's.  Marg.  childhood.  The 
meaning  is  obvious.  He  would  be 
restored  again  to  health.  The  cala- 
mity which  had  been  brought  upon 
him  for  purposes  of  discipline,  would 
be  removed.  This  was  the  theory  of 
Elihu  in  regard  to  afflictions,  and  he 
undoubtedly  meant  that  it  sliould  be 
applied  to  Job.  If  he  would  now, 
understanding  the  nature  and  design 
of  affliction,  turn  to  God,  he  would 
be  recovered  again,  and  enjoy  the 
health  and  vigor  of  his  youth.  We 
are  not  to  suppose  that  this  is  univer- 
sally true,  though  it  is  undoubtedly 
often  a  fact  now,  that  if  those  who 
are  afilicted  become  truly  penitent, 
and  call  upon  God,  the  affliction  will 
be  removed.  It  will  have  accom- 
plished its  object,  and  may  be  with- 
drawn. Hence,  tliey  who  pray  timt 
their  afflictions  niay  be  withdrawn, 
should^Vsi  pray  that  they  may  accoin- 
plisii  on  their  own  hearts  the  effect 
^vhicli  God  designs,  producing  in 
them  penitence,  deadness  to  the 
world,  and  liuuuliation,  and  then  that 
his  hand  may  be  withdrawn.  IT  He 
shall  return  to  the  days  of  his  ijonth. 
That  is,  to  health  and  vigor. 

2C.  He  shall  pray  unto  God,  &c. 
That  is,  when  he  fully  understands 
the  design  of  ailliction  ;  -and  when 
his  mind  is  brought  to  a  proper  state 
of  penitence  for  his  past  conduct,  then 
he  will  find  God  merciful  and  ready 
to  show  him  kindness.  IT  And  he  shall 
see  his  face  with  joy.     The  face  o. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


155 


27  He   '  looketh   upon    men  ; 

1  or,  he  shaH  look  vpon  men,  and  say,  I  hav 
sinned.  a  1  J  no.  1.  !j. 

God.  That  is,  he  sliall  be  able  to 
look  up  to  him  with  peace  and  com- 
fort. This  language  is  similar  to  tliat 
vvhuli  is  so  frequently  employed  in 
the  iScnplures,  in  which  God  is  said 
to  liit  upon  us  tJie  liglitof  his  counte- 
nance. The  meaning  here  is,  tliat  the 
afflicted  man  would  be  again  permitted 
to  look  by  faith  on  God,  being  recon- 
ciled to  him,  and  would  see  in  his 
face  no  indication  of  displeasure.  IT 
For  he  icill  rendf.r  unto  man  his  right- 
eousness. He  will  deal  with  him  in 
justice  and  equity.  When  he  sees 
evidence  of  penitence,  he  will  treat 
him  accordingly  ;  and  if  in  the  afflict- 
ed man  he  discerns  true  piety,  he 
will  regard  and  treat  him  as  his  friend. 
The  meaning  is,  that  if  there  is  in  the 
sufterer  any  sincere  love  to  God,  he 
will  not  be  indifferent  to  it,  but  will 
treat  him  as  possessing  it.  This  is 
still  true,  and  universally  true.  If 
there  is  in  the  heart  of  one  who  is 
ftfflioted  any  real  piety,  God  will  not 
treat  him  as  an  impenitent  sinner,  but 
will  manifest  his  mercy  to  him,  and 
show  to  him  tlie  favors  which  he  con- 
fers only  on  his  friends. 

27.  He  looketh  vpon  vien.  Marg. 
"  or,  he  shall  look  upon  men,  and  say, 
I  have  sinned."  Umbreit  renders 
tliis.  Nun  singt  er  jubelnd  zu  den 
Menschen — "  now  he  sings  joyfully 
among  men."  So  Noyes,  "He  shall 
sing  among  men,  and  say."  Prof. 
Lee,  "  He  shall  fully  consider  or 
pronounce  right  to  men,  so  that  one 
shall  say,  I  have  sinned."  Coverdale, 
"  Such  a  respect  hath  he  unto  men. 
Therefore,  let  a  man  confess  and  say, 
t  have  offended."  The  LXX  render 
it,  Elra  TOTf  (x,7ln[tf'nip(Tai  cii'O-iiioTToq 
arro;  invTw — "  then  shall  a  man 
blame  himself,"  &c.  These  various 
renderings  arise  from  the  difference 
of  signification  attached  to  the  He- 
brew word  "I'J^^  .  According  to  our 
interpretation,  it  is  derived  from  ^"^^ 

•shir,  to  sing,  and  then  the  meaning 


and  if  any  say,  "  I  have  sinned, 
and  perverted  that  which  was 
right,  and  it  profited  me  not ; 


would  be,  '  he  sings  before  men,'  and 
thus  the  reference  would  be  to  the 
suff'erer,  meaning  that  he  would  have 
occasion  to  rejoice  among  men.  See 
Gesenius  on  the  word.  According  to 
the  other  view,  the  word  is  derived 
from  ^'liU  — sliiir,  to  look  round  ;  to 
care  for,  or  regard  ;  and  according  to 
this,  the  reference  is  to  God,  mean- 
ing that  he  carefully  and  attentively 
observes  men  in  such  circumstances, 
and,  if  he  sees  evidence  tliat  tiiere  is 
true  penitence,  he  has  compassion  and 
saves.  This  idea  certatiily  accords 
better  with  the  scope  of  the  passage 
than  the  former,  and  it  seems  to  me 
is  to  be  regarded  as  correct.  fT  Jlnd  if 
any  saxj,  I  have  sinned.  Heb.  "  And 
saj's,"  that  is,  if  the  suff'erer,  under 
the  pressure  of  his  afflictions,  is  will- 
ing to  confess  his  faults,  then  God  is 
ready  to  show  him  mercy.  This  ac- 
cords with  what  Elihu  purposed  to 
state  of  the  design  of  afflictions,  that 
they  were  intended  to  bring  men  to 
reflection,  and  to  be  a  means  of  whole- 
some discipline.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  he  meant  that  all  this  should  be 
understood  by  Job  as  applicable  to 
himself,  for  he  manifestly  means  to 
be  understood  as  saying  that  he  had 
not  seen  in  him  the  evidence  of  a 
penitent  mind,  such  as  he  supposed 
afflictions  were  designed  to  produce 
IT  And  perverted  that  which  was  right. 
That  is,  in  regard  to -operations  and 
views  of  the  divine  government.  He 
had  held  error,  or  had  cherished 
wrong  apprehensions  of  the  divine 
character.  Or  it  may  mean,  that  he 
had  dealt  unjustly  with  men  in  his 
intercourse  with  them.  IT  And  it 
profited  me  not.  The  word  here  used 
(nitl)  — shdvd)  means  properly  to  be 
even  or  level ;  then  to  be  equal,  or  of 
like  value  ;  and  here  may  mean,  that 
he  now  saw  that  it  was  no  advantage 
to  him  to  have  done  wickedly,  since 
it  brought  upon  him  such  a  punish- 
ment,   or   the  benefit  which   he  re- 


156 


JOB. 


28  He  '  will  deliver  his  soul 
from  going  into  the  pit,  and  his 
life  shall  see  the  light. 

29  Lo,  all  these  thirigs  work- 
eth  '^God  oftentimes  with  man, 

1  or,  He  hath  delivered  my  soul,  Sfc,  and  mij  life. 

ceived  from  Jiis  life  of  wickedness 
was  no  equivalent  for  the  pain  which 
he  had  been  called  to  suffer  in  conse- 
quence of  it.  This  is  the  common 
interpretation.  Rosenmiiller,  how- 
ever, suggests  another,  which  is,  that 
he  designs  by  this  language  to  ex- 
press his  sense  of  tiie  divine  mercy, 
and  that  it  means  '  my  afflictions  are 
in  no  sense  equal  to  my  deserts.  I 
have  not  been  punished  as  I  might 
justly  have  been,  for  God  has  inter- 

Eosed  to  spare  me.'  It  seems  to  me, 
owever,  that  the  former  interpreta- 
tion accords  best  with  the  meaning  of 
the  words  and  the  scope  of  the  pas- 
sage. It  would  then  be  the  reflection 
of  a  man  on  the  bed  of  suffering,  that 
the  course  of  life  which  brought  him 
there  had  been  attended  with  no  ad- 
vantage, but  had  been  the  means  of 
plunging  him  into  deserved  sorrows, 
from  which  he  could  be  rescued  only 
by  the  grace  of  God. 

28.  He  will  deliver  his  soul.  Marg. 
"  He  hath  delivered  my  soul."  There 
are  various  readings  here  in  the  text, 
which  give  rise  to  this  diversity  of 
interpretation.  The  present  reading 
in  the  text  is  "^I^E? — my  soul;  and 
according  to  this,  it  is  to  be  regarded 
as  the  language  of  the  sufferer  cele- 
brating the  mercy  of  God,  and  is  lan- 
guage which  is  connected  with  the 
confession  in  the  previous  verse,  '  I 
have  sinned ;  I  found  it  no  advan- 
tage ;  and  he  hath  rescued  me  from 
death."  Many  MSS.,  however,  read 
via: — his  soul;  and  according  to 
this,  the  language  would  be  that  of 
Elihn,  saying,  that  in  those  circum- 
Btances  God  would  deliver  him  when 
he  made  suitable  confession  of  his 
ein.  The  sense  is  essentially  the 
game  The  Vulgate  has,  "  He  will 
deliver  AJ5  s'jul  ;"  the  LXX,  "Save 


30  To  bring  back  his  sou> 
from  the  pit,  "  to  be  enlightened 
with  the  light  *  of  the  living. 

31  Mark  well, O  Job;  hearken 

2  twice  and  thrice.       a  Vs.  40.  1,2.  la.  38.  17 

b  Ps.  5R.  13.  ActsSfi.  18. 

m-y  soul."  H  From  going  into  the  pit. 
INotes  ver.  18.  TI  And  his  life  shall 
see  the  light.  Here  there  is  the  same 
variety  of  reading  which  occurs  in 
regard  to  the  word  soul.  The  present 
Hebrew  text  is  (''J^^*^)  "  my  life  ;" 
many  MSS.  read  C^'^^)  "  his  life." 
The  phrase  "to  see  the  light"  is 
equivalent  to  live.  Death  was  repre- 
sented as  going  down  into  i-egions 
where  there  was  no  ray  of  light.  See 
ch.  iii.  20,  x.  21,  22. 

29.  Lo,  all  these  things  loorkcth  God. 
That  is,  he  takes  all  these  methods 
to  warn  men,  and  to  reclaim  them 
from  their  evil  ways.  IT  Oftentimes. 
Heb.  as  in  the  margin,  twice,  thrice. 
This  may  be  taken  either,  as  it  i.s  by 
our  translators,  to  denote  an  indefinite 
number,  meaning  that  God  takes/re 
quent  occasion  to  warn  men,  and  re 
peats  the  admonition  when  they  dis- 
reguard  it,  or  more  probably  Elihu 
refers  here  to  the  particular  methods 
which  he  had  specified,  and  which 
were  three  in  number.  First,  warn- 
ings in  the  visions  of  the  night,  vs. 
14-17.  Second,  afflictions,  19-22. 
Third,  the  messenger  which  God 
sent  to  make  the  sufferer  acquainted 
with  the  design  of  the  aflliction,  and 
to  assure  him  that  he  might  return  Co 
God,  vs.  23-26.  So  the  LXX  under- 
stand it,  who  render  it,  6()oi'i;  rohq— 
three  ways,  referring  to  tlie  three 
methods  which  Elihu  had  specified. 

30.  To  bring  back  his  soul  from  the 
pit.  To  keep  him  from  descending 
to  the  grave,  and  to  the  dark  world 
beneath.  He  takes  these  methods  of 
warning  men,  in  order  that  they  ma  r 
not  bring  destruction  on  themselves 
See  ver.  18.  IT  To  be  enlightened  icith 
the  light  of  the  living.  That  he  may 
still  enjoy  life,  and  not  descend  to 
the  world  of  shades. 

31.  Mark  well,  0  Job,  hea.rlien,  unto 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


157 


unto  me,  hold  thy  peace,  and 
I  will  speak. 

3"2  If  thou  hast  any  thing  to 
say,   answer   me  :   speak  ;    for  I 

mr,  &c.  Eliliu  designs  to  intimate 
that  he  liad  niucii  more  to  say  wliich 
uemaniled  close  attention.  He  beg- 
ged, therefore,  that  Job  would  hear 
hun  patiently  through. 

3iJ.  If  thou  hast  any  thing  to  say, 
ansiccr  me.  In  the  previous  verse, 
Eliliu  had  asked  that  Job  would  hear 
all  that  he  had  to  say.  Yet  here,  in 
view  of  \vhat  he  had  said,  he  asks  of 
him  that  if  there  were  any  thing  from 
which  lie  dissented,  he  would  now 
express  his  dissent.  We  may  sup- 
pose that  he  paused  at  this  part  of  his 
speech,  and  as  what  he  had  said  re- 
lated particularly  to  Job,  he  felt  that 
it  was  proper  that  lie  should  have  an 
opportunity  to  reply.  IT  For  I  desire, 
to  justify  thee.  I  would  do  you  jus- 
tice. I  would  not  pervert  what  you 
have  said,  or  attribute  to  you  any 
wrong  opinions  or  any  improper 
motives.  Perhaps  there  may  be  in- 
cluded also  a  wish  to  vindicate  liim, 
if  he  possibly  could.  He  did  not  de- 
sire to  dispute  for  the  sake  of  dis- 
puting, or  to  blame  him  if  he  could 
avoid  it,  but  his  aim   was  the  truth ; 


desire  to  justify  thee. 

33  If  not,  hearken  unto  me  : 
hold  thy  peace,  and  I  shall  teach 
thee  wisdom. 

and  if  he  could,  he  wished  to  vindicate 
tile  character  of  Job  from  the  uspei'- 
sions  which  had  been  cast  upon  it. 

33.  If  not,  hearken  unto  me,  &c.  l*" 
nothing  has  been  said  from  which 
you  dissent,  then  listen  to  me,  and  1 
will  explain  further  the  perplexing 
subject  which  has  excited  so  much 
discussion.  These  remarks  of  Elihu 
imply  great  confidence  in  the  truth  or 
what  he  had  to  say,  but  they  are  not 
arrogant  and  disrespectful.  He  treats 
Job  with  the  utmost  deference ;  is 
willing  to  hear  all  tliat  could  be  said 
in  opposition  to  his  own  views,  and  is 
desirous  of  not  wounding  his  feelings, 
or  doing  injustice  to  liis  cause.  It 
may  be  supposed  that  he  paused  here, 
to  give  Job  an  opportunity  to  reply, 
but  as  he  made  no  remarks,  he  re- 
sumed his  discourse  in  the  following 
chapter.  The  views  which  he  had 
expressed  were  evidently  new  to  Job, 
and  were  entirely  at  variance  with 
those  of  his  three  friends,  and  they 
appear  to  have  been  received  by 
ail  with  profound  and  respectful  si- 
lence. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 


Elihd  appears  to  have  paused,  to  give  Job  an  opportunity  to  reply  to  what  he  han  said. 
When  he  found  that  he  had  nothing  to  reply,  he  addresses  particularly  the  friends  of  Job, 
designing  to  vindicate  the  ways  of  God,  and  to  examine  some  of  the  positions  which  Job  had 
advanced.  He  had  been  grieved  and  offended  that  they  had  not  replied  to  what  he  considered 
to  be  his  erroneous  sentiments  (ch.  xx.\ii.  3),  and  now  he  proposes  to  reply  to  those  sentiments 
himself,  and  to  show  what  was  the  truth  in  the  matter.  The  chapter  contains  the  following 
points  : 

I.  The  introduction  to  the  speech,  in  which  Elihu  addresses  himself  particularly  to  the 
friends  of  Job,  and  asks  their  careful  consideration  of  the  whole  subject,  vs.  1-4. 

II.  A  statement  of  the  sentiments  of  Job  which  he  considered  erroneous,  and  which  he  pro- 
posed to  examine,  vs.  5-9.  Particularly,  Job  had  said  that  he  waH  righteous;  that  God  had 
not  dealt  with  )iim  as  he  ought  to  liave  done  ;  and  tliat  there  was  no  advantage  in  serving  God 


158 


JOB. 


ind  being  pious,  since  calamities  came  upon  the  righteous  as  well  as   the  wicked,  and  tha 
wicked  under  his  government  fared  as  well  as  the  righteous. 

III.  An  examination  and  a  refutation  of  these  opinions,  vs.  10-30.  In  doing  this,  Elihu  re- 
fers to  the  following  considerations  :  (a)  A  declaration  that  God  will  not  do  wickedness,  and 
that  he  cannot  pervert  Judgment.  This  Elihu  seems  to  consider  as  indisputable,  vs  10-12.  (b) 
God  is  the  absolute  and  original  sovereign  of  all  the  earth.  No  one  has  given  him  authority  to 
reign,  and  no  one  can  control  him,  vs.  13-16.  (c)  There  is,  therefore,  great  impropriety  in 
calling  in  question  the  dealings  of  such  a  sovereign.  It  would  be  improper  even  to  arraign  an 
earthly  prince,  and  to  accuse  him  of  injustice  ;  and  how  much  more  impropriety  is  there  in 
calling  in  ([uestion  the  equity  of  the  Great  Governor  of  the  universe  !  vs.  17-19.  (d)  All  men 
are  under  the  notice  of  God.  The  wicked  cannot  escape,  and  there  is  no  land  of  darkness  where 
tiiey  can  be  concealed.  It  cannot  be  supposed,  therefore,  that  they  will  escape  because  God 
cannot  ferret  them  out,  and  call  them  to  judgment,  vs.  20-22.  (e)  God  will  not  lay  upon  man 
more  than  is  right,  or  give  him  occasion  to  enter  into  controversy  with  him,  ver.  23.  (f)  God 
ift/iict  cuts  off  the  wicked.  He  destroys  them  in  the  night ;  he  strikes  them  suddenly  down, 
and  spares  tlie  poor  and  the  oppressed  who  cry  unto  him.  He  takes  care  that  the  hypocrite 
shall  not  reign,  and  brings  \ipon  him  deserved  jjunishment,  vs.  24-30.  By  such  consideralions, 
Eliiiu  meets  the  allegations  of  Job,  and  endeavors  to  vindicate  the  government  of  God.  'i'hey 
are  for  the  most  pirt  mere  assertions,  and  in  his  view  the  whole  subject  resolves  itself  into  a 
matter  of  sovereignty.  The  amount  of  all  that  he  says  is,  that  man  should  submit  to  God,  and 
ihat  it  is  presumption  in  him  to  attempt  to  call  in  question  the  equity  of  his  government. 

IV.  Elihu  now  turns  again  to  Job,  and  appeals  to  him.  He  says  that  the  proper  course  for 
him,  instead  of  complaining  of  God,  would  be  to  confess  that  he  had  done  wrong,  and  to  pray  that 
he  might  be  taught  to  understand  that  which  was  now  inscrutable  to  him.  He  ought  not  to 
ex])ect  that  every  thing  would  be  according  to  his  mind.  He  ought  to  seek  counsel  of  men  of 
understanding,  and  listen  with  defeience  to  their  opinions,  and  not  to  arrogate  all  wisdom  to 
himself.  Job  had  erred,  in  the  opinion  of  Elihu,  and  had  maintained  sentiments  which  tended 
to  vindicate  the  conduct  of  wicked  men.  He  had  evinced  a  spirit  of  rebellion,  and  multiplied 
words  against  God,  vs.  31-37.  The  drift  of  the  whole  discourse,  therefore,  is,  to  convince  Job 
that  he  was  wrong,  and  to  exhort  him  to  acquiesce  in  the  righteous  government  of  God  ;  to 
lead  him  to  inquire  into  the  reasons  why  God  had  afflicted  him,  and  confess  the  sins  which  had 
been  the  occasion  of  his  trials. 


pURTHERMORE,  Elihu  an- 
■*-     swered  and  said, 

2  Hear  my  words,  O  ye  wise 

1  palate. 

1.  Furthermore,  EJi/iii  answered 
and  said.  That  is,  evidently,  after  a 
pause  to  see  if  Job  liad  any  thing  to 
reply.  The  word  answered  in  the 
Scriptures  often  means  "  to  begin  a 
discourse,"  though  nothing  had  been 
said  by  others.  See  ch.  iii.  2.  Isa. 
xiv.  10.  Zech.  i.  10,  iii.  4,  iv.  11,  12. 
Sometimes  it  is  used  with  reference 
to  a  subject,  meaning  that  one  replied 
to  what  could  be  suggested  on  the 
opposite  side.  Here  it  may  be  under- 
stood either  in  the  general  sense  of 
beginning  a  discourse,  or  more  prob- 
ably as  replying  to  the  sentiments 
wliicii  .Tob  had  advanced  in  the  debate 
with  his  friends. 

2.  Hear  intj  words,  0  ijc  wise  men. 
AddressiiiT  partic-ularly  the  three 
friend.s  of  .Job.  The  previous  chap- 
ter had  been  addressed  to  Job  him- 
self. He  had  staled  to  him  his  views 
of  the  design  of  afHiction,  and  he  had 


men ;  and  give  ear  unto  me,  ye 
that  have  knowledge  : 

3  For  the  ear  trieth  words,  as 
the  '  mouth  tasteth  meat. 


nothing  to  reply.  He  now  addresses 
himself  to  his  friends,  with  a  particular 
view  of  examining  some  of  the  senti- 
ments which  Job  liad  advanced,  and 
of  showing  where  he  was  in  error 
He  addresses  them  as  "  wise  men," 
or  sages,  and  as  endowed  with 
"knowledge,"  to  conciliate  their  at- 
tention, and  because  he  regarded 
them  as  qualified  to  understand  the 
difficult  subject  which  he  proposed  to 
e.xplain. 

3.  For  the  ear  trieth  words.  Ascer- 
tains their  meaning,  and  especially 
determines  what  words  are  worth  re- 
garding. The  object  of  this  is,  to  fix 
the  attention  on  what  he  was  about 
to  say  ;  to  get  the  ear  so  that  every 
word  sliould  make  its  proper  impres- 
sion. The  word  ear  in  this  place, 
however,  seems  not  to  be  used  to  de- 
note the  external  organ,  but  the 
whole  faculty  of  hearing.     It  is   by 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


159 


4  Let  us  choose  to  us  judg- 
ment :  let  us  know  among  our- 
selves what  is  good. 

5  For  Job  hath  said,  "  I   am 

a  c  27.  2.  1  arrow,  c.  6.  4. 

hearing  that  the  meaning  of  what  is 
syid  is  determined,  ns  it  is  by  the 
taste  that  tlie  quality  of  food  is  dis- 
cerned. U  .Is  the  mouth  tastethmeat. 
Marg.  as  in  Ileb.  palate.  The  mean- 
ing i.-i,  as  the  organ  of  taste  determines 
the  nature  of  tlie  various  articles  of 
food.  The  same  figure  is  used  by 
Job  in  ch.  xii.  11. 

4.  Let  us  choose  to  us  judgment. 
That  is,  let  us  examine  and  explore 
what  is  true  and  right.  Amidst  the 
conflicting  opinions,  and  the  senti- 
ments which  ha\e  been  advanced, 
let  us  find  out  what  will  abide  the 
test  of  close  investigation. 

5.  For  Job  hath  said,  lam  righteous. 
See  ch.  xiii.  IS,  "  I  know  that  I  sjjall 
be  justified."  Corap.  ch.  xxiii.  10, 
11,  where  he  says,  if  he  was  tried  he 
would  come  forth  as  gold.  Eliliu 
may  have  also  referred  to  the  general 
course  of  remark  which  he  had  pur- 
sued as  vindicating  liimself  H  .'Ind 
God  hath  taken  aicay  my  judgment. 
This  sentiment  is  found  in  ch.  xxvii. 
2.     See  Notes  on  that  place. 

6.  Should  I  lie  against  my  right? 
These  are  also  quoted  as  the  words  of 
Job,  and  as  a  part  of  the  erroneous 
opinions  on  which  Elihu  proposes  to 
comment.  These  words  do  not  occur, 
however,  as  used  by  Job  respecting 
himself,  and  Elihu  must  be  under- 
stood to  refer  to  what  he  regarded  as 
the  general  strain  of  the  argument 
maintained  by  him.  In  regard  to  the 
meaning  of  the  words,  there  have 
been  various  opinions.  Jerome  ren- 
ders them,  "  For  in  judging  me  there 
is  falsehood — mcndacium  est;  my 
violent  arrow  [the  painful  arrow  in 
me]  is  without  any  sin."  The  LXX, 
"  He  [the  Lord]  hath  been  false  in 
my  accusation  "  —  ii^'f'vriaro  df  tw 
y.offtaxC  ftnv — "  my  arrow  is  heavy 
without  transgressio-n."  Coverdale, 
"  I  must  needs  be  a  liar,  though   my 


righteous  :   and  God  hath  taken 
away  my  judgment. 

6  Should  I  lie  against  my 
right  ?  my  wound  '  is  incurable 
without  transgression. 

cause  be  right."  Umbreit  renders  it, 
"I  must  lie  if  I  should  acknowledge 
myself  to  be  guilty."  Noyes,"  Though 
I  am  innocent,  I  am  made  a  liar." 
Prof.  Lee,  "  Should  I  lie  respecting 
my  case  .''  mine  arrow  is  mortal  with- 
out transgression."  Tliat  is,  Job  said 
he  could  not  lie  about  it ;  he  could 
use  no  language  that  would  deceive. 
He  felt  that  a  mortal  arrow  had 
reached  him  without  transgression, 
or  without  any  adequate  cause 
Rosenmiiller  renders  it,  "  However 
just  may  be  ray  cause,  I  appear  to  be 
a  liar."  That  is,  he  was  regarded  as 
guilty,  and  treated  accordingly,  how- 
ever conscious  he  might  be  of  in- 
nocence, and  however  strenuously 
he  might  maintain  that  he  was  not 
guilty.  The  meaning  probably  is, '  I 
am  held  to  be  a  liar.  I  defend  my- 
self; go  over  my  past  life  ;  state  my 
course  of  conduct ;  meet  the  accusa- 
tions of  my  friends,  but  in  all  this  1 
am  still  held  to  be  a  liar.  ]My  friends 
so  regard  me — for  they  will  not  credit 
my  statements,  and  they  go  on  still  to 
argue  as  if  I  was  the  most  guilty  of 
mortals.  And  God  also  in  this  holds 
me  to  be  a  liar,  for  he  treats  me  con- 
stantly as  if  I  were  guilty.  He  hears 
not  my  vindication,  and  he  inflicts 
pain  and  wo  upon  me  as  if  all  that  I 
had  said  about  my  own  integrity  were 
false,  and  I  were  one  of  the  most 
abandoned  of  mortals,  so  that  on  all 
hands  I  am  regarded  and  treated  as  if 
I  were  basely  false.'  The  literal 
translation  of  the  Hebrew  is,  'Con- 
cerning my  judgment  [or  my  cause] 
I  am  held  to  be  a  liar.'  II  J\lij  iroinid 
is  ineurahle.  IMarg.  asin  \iith.  urrmc. 
The  idea  is,  that  a  deadly  arrow  had 
smitten  him,  which  could  not  be  ex- 
tracted.     So  in  Virgil, 

Iferet  lateri  letalis  arundo.       JEn.  iv.  73. 
The  image  is  take-n  from  an  animal 
that  had  been  pierced  with  a  deadly 


160 


JOB. 


7  What  man  is  like  Job,  who 
drinketh  up  scorning  like  water  ; 

8  Which  goeth  in  company 
with  the  workers  of  iniquity,  and 
walketh  with  wicked  men  1 

9  For  he  hath  said,  It  profit- 
eth  a  man  nothing  "  that  he 
should  delight  himself  with  God. 

arrow.  11  JVukout  transgression. 
Without  any  sin  that  deserved  such 
treatment.  Joh  did  not  claim  to  be 
ahsolutely  perfect;  he  maintained 
only  that  the  sufferings  which  he 
endured  were  no  proper  proof  of  his 
character.     Comp.  ch.  vi.  4. 

7.  What  man  is  Ui,-c  Job,  who  drink- 
eth up  scorning  like  icatcr  ?  A  similar 
image  occurs  in  ch.  xv.  16.  The  idea 
is,  that  he  was  full  of  reproachful 
speeches  respecting  God  ;  of  the  lan- 
guage of  irreverence  and  rebellion. 
He  indulged  in  it  as  freely  as  a  man 
drinks  water  ;  gathers  up  and  itn- 
hibcs  all  the  language  of  reproach 
that  he  can  find,  and  indulges  in  it  as 
if  it  were  perfectly  harmless. 

8.  Which  goeth  in  company  icith  the 
workers  of  iniquity.  That  is,  in  his 
sentiments.  The  idea  is,  that  he 
advocated  the  same  opinions  which 
they  did,  and  entertained  the  same 
views  of  God  and  of  his  government. 
The  same  charge  had  been  before 
brought  against  him  by  his  friends. 
See  Notes  on  ch.  xxi. 

9.  For  he  hath  said,  It  profiteth  a 
man  nothino'  that  he  should  delight 
himself  in  God.  That  is,  there  is  no 
advantage  in  piety,  and  in  endeavor- 
ing to  serve  God.  It  will  make  no 
difference  in  the  divine  dealings  witli 
him.  He  will  be  treated  just  as  well 
if  he  lives  a  life  of  sin,  as  if  he  under- 
takes to  live  after  the  severest  rules 
of  piety.  Job  had  not  used  precisely 
this  language,  but  in  ch.  ix.  22,  he 
had  expressed  nearly  the  same  senti- 
ment. It  is  probable,  however,  that 
Elihu  refers  to  what  lie  regarded  as 
the  general  scope  and  tendency  of 
his  remarks,  as  implying  that  there 
was  no  respect  paid  to  character  in 
the  divine  dealings  with  mankind.  It 


10  Therefore,  hearken  unto 
me,  ye  men  of  '  understanding  : 
Far  be  it  from  God  that  he  should 
do  wickedness  ;  and  from  the 
Almighty,  that  he  should  commit 
iniquity. 

a  c.  9,  20,  23.  1  heart. 

was  easy  to  pervert  the  views  which 
Job  actually  entertained,  so  as  to  make 
him  appear  to  maintain  this  senti- 
ment, and  it  was  probably  with  a 
special  view  to  this  charge  that  Job 
uttered  the  sentiments  recorded  in 
ch.  xxi.     See  Notes  on  that  chapter. 

10.  Therefore,  hearken  unto  mr„ 
Elihu  proceeds  now  to  reply  to  what 
he  regarded  as  the  erroneous  senti- 
ments of  Jol),  and  to  show  the  impro- 
priety of  language  wlilch  reflected  so 
much  on  God  and  bis  government 
Instead,  however,  of  meeting  the 
facts  in  the  case,  and  showing  how 
the  actual  course  of  events  could  be 
reconciled  with  justice,  he  resolves  it 
all  into  a  matter  of  sovereignty,  and 
maintains  that  it  is  wrong  to  doubt 
the  rectitude  of  the  dealings  of  one 
so  mighty  as  God.  In  this  he  pur- 
sues the  same  course  sul)staiiti;illy 
which  the  friends  of  Job  had  done, 
and  does  little  more  to  solve  t!ie  real 
difficulties  in  the  case  than  they  Jiad. 
The /ttf is  to  which  Job  had  referred 
are  scarcely  adverted  to  ;  the  perplex- 
ing questions  are  still  unsolvetl,  and 
the  amount  of  all  tliat  Elihu  says  is, 
that  God  is  a  sovereign,  and  that 
there  must  be  an  improper  spirit  when 
men  prosume  to  pronounce  on  his 
dealings.  "IT  Ye  7ncn  of  understanding. 
Marg.  as  in  Ileb.  men  of  "  heart." 
The  word  heart  is  here  used  as  it 
was  uniforndy  among  the  Hebrews; 
the  Jewish  view  of  physiology  being 
that  the  heart  was  the  seat  of  all  the 
mental  operations.  They  never  speak 
of  the  head  as  the  seat  of  the  intel- 
lect, as  we  do.  The  meaning  here  is, 
that  Elihu  regarded  them  as  sages, 
qualified  to  comprehend  and  appre- 
ciate the  truth  on  the  suljject  under 
discussion.     H  Far    be  it  from    God. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


fOl 


1 1  For  the  work  °  of  a  man 
shall  he  render  unto  him,  and 
cause  every  man  to  find  accord- 
ing to  his  ways. 

12  Yea,  surely  God  will  not 

a  Re.  O-X  1-3. 


lleb.  ^^^r}  — "  profane,  unholy."  It 
is  an  expression  of  aUiorrmcc,  as  if 
till'  tiling  [iroposed  were  profane  or 
iinliolv.  1  Sam.  xx.  2.  Gen.  xviii.  2-^. 
Josli.  xxiv.  16.  Tlie  meaning  here  is, 
that  the  very  idea  tliat  God  would  do 
wrong,  or  (.-oiild  patronize  iniquity, 
wa.s  a  profane  conception,  and  was  not 
to  be  tolerated  for  a  niomerit.  This  is 
true  enough,  and  Iti  this  general  sen- 
timent, no  doubt.  Job  would  himself 
have  concurred. 

11.  Fur  the  xrork  of  a  man  shall  lie 
render  tintohim.  He  shall  treat  each 
man  as  he  deserves — and  this  is  the 
essence  of  justice.  Of  the  triuh  of 
this,  also,  there  could  have  been  no 
question.  Elilni  does  not,  indeed, 
apply  it  to  tlie  case  of  Job,  but  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  he  intended 
tiiat  it  should  have  such  a  reference. 
He  regarded  Job  as  having  accused 
God  of  injustice,  for  having  inflicted 
woes  on  him  which  he  by  no  means 
deserved.  He  takes  care,  therefore, 
to  state  this  general  principle,  that 
with  God  there  initst  be  impartial 
justice — leaving  the  application  of 
this  principle  to  the  facts  in  the  world, 
to  be  arranged  as  well  as  possible. 
No  one  can  doubt  that  Elihu  in  this 
took  the  true  ground,  and  that  the 
great  principle  is  to  be  held  that  God 
can  do  no  icrojig,  and  that  all  the 
facts  in  the  universe  must  be  consist- 
ent with  this  great  principle,  whether 
we  can  now  see  it  to  be  so  or  not. 

12.  Yea,  surehj  God  zcill  not  do 
irichcdly.  So  important  does  Elihu 
hold  this  principle  to  be,  that  he  re- 
peats it,  and  dwells  upon  it.  He 
says,  "it  surely  (-J^S)  must  be  so." 
The  principle  must  be  held  at  all 
hazards,  and  no  opinion  which  con- 
travenes this  should  be  indulged  for 
one    moment.     His  ground  of  coin- 


do  wickedly,  neither  will  the  Al- 
mighty pervert  judgment. 

13  Who  hath  given  him  a 
charge  over  the  earth?  or  who 
hath  disposed  '  the  whole  world  ? 

1  all  of  it. 

plaint  against  Job  was,  that  he  had 
not  held  fast  to  this  jirinciple,  but, 
under  the  pressure  of  his  siiflierings, 
had  indulged  in  remarks  which  im- 
plied that  God  might  do  wrong.  U 
Seltlier  ic'ill  the  Jllmiglitii  pervert 
judgment.  As  Elihu  supposed  Job 
to  have  maintained.  See  ver.  5.  To 
"pervert  judgment"  is  to  do  injus- 
tice ;  to  place  injustice  in  the  place  of 
right. 

13.  Who  hatk  given  him  a  charge 
over  the  earth?  That  is,  he  is  the 
Great  original  Proprietor  and  Ruler 
of  all.  He  has  derived  his  authority 
to  govern  from  no  one  ;  he  is  under 
subjection  to  no  one,  and  he  has, 
therefore,  an  absolute  right  to  do  his 
own  pleasure.  Reigning  then  with 
absolute  and  original  authority,  no 
one  has  a  right  to  call  in  question  the 
equity  of  what  he  does.  The  argu- 
ment of  Elihu  here,  that  God  would 
do  right,  is  derived  solely  from  his 
independence.  If  he  were  a  subordi- 
nate governor,  he  would  feel  less  in- 
terest in  the  correct  administration  of 
affairs,  and  might  be  tempted  to  com- 
mit injuries  to  gratify  the  feelings  of 
his  superior.  As  he  is,  however, 
supreme  and  independent,  he  cannot 
be  tempted  to  do  wrong  by  any  refer- 
ence to  a  superior  will ;  as  the  uni- 
verse is  that  which  he  has  made,  and 
which  belongs  to  him,  every  con- 
sideration would  lead  him  to  do  right 
to  all.  He  can  have  no  partiality  for 
one  more  than  another;  and  there 
can  be  no  one  to  whom  he  would  de- 
sire to  do  injustice — for  who  wishes 
to  injiire  that  which  belongs  to  him- 
self.' Prof.  Lee,  however,  renders 
this,  "  Who  hath  set  a  land  in  order 
against  him  V  He  supposes  that  the 
remark  is  designed  to  show  the  folly 
of  rebelling    ajjainst    God.     But  the 


T62 


JOB 


14  If  he  set  his  heart  upon 
'man,  if  he  gather  unto  himself 
his  spirit  and  his  breath  ; 

15  All  flesh  shall  perish  toge- 
ther, and  man  shall  turn  again 
unto  dust. 


former  inlerjiretation  seems  better  to 
accord  with  the  scope  of  the  argu- 
ment. H  Or  who  hath  disposed  the 
whole  world  ?  Who  has  arranged  the 
affairs  of  tlie  universe  ?  The  word 
rendered  "world,"  usually  means  <Ae 
habitable  earth,  liut  it  is  employed 
here  in  the  sense  of  the  universe,  and 
the  idea  is,  that  God  has  arranged  and 
ordered  all  things,  and  that  he  is  the 
.supreme  and  absolute  Sovereign. 

14.  If  he  set  his  heart  upon  man. 
Marg.  as  in  Ueb.  '  upon  him  ' — mean- 
ing man.  That  is,  if  he  fixes  his 
attention  particularly  on  him,  or 
should  form  a  purpose  in  regard  to 
him.  The  argument  seems  to  be 
this.  'If  God  wished  such  a  tiling, 
and  should  set  his  heart  upon  it,  he 
could  easily  cut  off  the  whole  race. 
He  has  power  to  do  it,  and  no  one 
can  deny  him  the  right.  Man  has  no 
claim  to  life,  but  he  who  gave  it  has 
a  right  to  withdraw  it,  and  the  race 
is  absolutely  dependent  on  this  infi- 
nite Sovereign.  Being  such  a  Sove- 
reign, therefore,  and  having  such  a 
right,  man  cannot  complain  of  his 
fliaker  as  unjust,  if  he  is  called  to 
pass  through  trials.'  Rosenmtiller, 
however,  supposes  this  is  to  be  taken 
in  the  sense  of  severe  scrutiny,  and 
that  it  means,  '  If  God  should  exa- 
mine with  strictness  the  life  of  man, 
and  mark  all  his  faults,  no  flesh 
would  be  allowed  to  live.  All  would 
be  found  to  be  guilty,  and  would  be 
cut  off.'  Grotius  supposes  it  to  mean, 
'  If  God  should  regard  only  himself; 
if  he  wished  only  to  be  good  to  him- 
self—that is,  to  consult  his  own  wel- 
fare, he  ^vould  take  away  life  from 
all,  and  live  and  reign  alone.'  This 
is  also  the  interpretation  of  Umbreit, 
Schnurrer,  and  Eichhorn.  Noyes 
regards  it  as  an  argument  drawn  from 


16  If  now  thou  hast  under- 
standing, hear  this  ;  hearken  to 
the  voice  of  my  words  : 

17  Shall  "  even  he  that  hateth 
right  *  govern  1  and  wilt  thou 
condemn  him  that  is  most  just  1 

a  2  Sa.  23.  3.  2  bind. 

the  benevolence  of  God,  meaning,  if 
God  were  severe,  unjust,  and  revenge- 
ful, the  earth  would  be  a  scene  ot 
universal  desolation.  It  seems  to 
me,  however,  that  it  is  rather  an  ar- 
gument from  the  absolute  sovereignty 
or  powt.'r  of  the  Almighty,  implying 
that  man  had  no  right  to  complain  of 
the  divine  dealings  in  the  loss  of 
health,  property,  or  friends  ;  for  if  he 
chose  he  might  sweep  away  the  whole 
race,  and  leave  the  earth  desolate.  IT 
If  he  gather  nnto  himself  his  sjnrit 
and  his  breath.  Tlie  spirit  of  man  is 
represented  as  having  been  originally 
given  by  God,  and  as  returning  to 
Jiim  when  man  dies.  Eccl.  xii.  7, 
"  Then  shall  the  dust  return  to  the 
earth  as  it  was  ;  and  the  s])irit  shall 
return  unto  God  wlio  gave  it." 

1.5.  .4//  flesh  shall  perish  together. 
If  God  chose,  he  would  ha\e  a  right 
to  cut  down  the  whole  race.  How 
then  shall  men  complain  of  the  loss 
of  health,  comforts,  and  friends,  and 
presume  to  arraign  God  as  if  lie  were 
unjust .'' 

16.  If  now  thou  hast  understanding, 
hear  this.  This  appears  to  be  ad- 
dressed to  Job.  The  discourse  before 
this  had  been  directed  to  his  three 
friends,  but  Elihu  appears  here  to 
have  turned  to  Job,  and  to  have  made 
a  solemn  appeal  to  liim,  \\  Iiether  this 
were  not  so.  In  the  subsequent  ver- 
ses he  remonstrates  with  him  about 
his  views,  and  shows  him  that  what 
he  had  said  implied  severe  reflections 
on  the  character  and  government  ol 
God. 

17.  Shall  eren  h)  that  hateth  right 
govern  ?      Marg.    as    in    Heb.    biiid.        . 
That  is,  shall  he  l/nd  by  laws.      The       * 
argmuent  in  this  verse  seems  to  be  an 
appeal  to  what  mnst  be  the  convic- 
tion of  mankind,  that  God,  the  Great 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


163 


18  Js  it  Jit  to  say  to  a  king,  " 
Thou  art  wicked  ?  and  to  prin- 
ces, Yr  are  ungodly  ? 

19  How  much  less  to  him '  that 
acceptetli  "  not  tlie  persons  of 
princes,  nor  regardeth  the   rich 


a  £? 


,  22.  28.       b  He.  12.  S8.       c  1  Pe.  1.  17. 
1  they  shall  take  away  the  mighty. 


Governor  of  tlie  universe,  could  not 
be  unjust.  This  conviction,  Elilni 
appears  to  have  supposed,  was  so 
deep  in  the  human  niinJ,  that  lie 
might  appeal  even  to  Job  himself  for 
Its  truth.  The  question  here  askeil 
implies  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  believe  that  one  who  was  unjust 
could  govern  the  universe.  Such  a 
supposition  would  be  at  variance  with 
all  the  convictions  of  the  human  soul, 
and  all  the  indications  of  the  nature 
of  his  government  to  be  found  in  his 
works.  U  .'Ind  loilt  thou  coiidiniu 
him  that  is  inost.  just?  The  great 
and  holy  Ruler  of  the  universe.  The 
argument  here  is,  that  Job  liad  iu 
fact  placed  himself  in  the  attitude  of 
condemning  him  who,  from  the  fact 
that  he  was  the  Ruler  of  the  universe, 
nmst  be  most  just.  The  impropriety 
of  this  he  shows  in  the  following 
verses. 

18.  Is  it  fit  to  say  to  a  king.  Thou 
art  loickcd  ?  The  argument  here  is 
this  :  '  There  would  be  gross  impro- 
prietv  in  arraigning  the  conduct  of  an 
earthly  monarch,  and  using  language 
severely  condemning  what  he  does. 
Respect  is  due  to  those  of  elevated 
rank.  Their  plans  are  often  con- 
cealed. It  is  difficult  to  judge  of 
them  until  they  are  fully  developed. 
To  condemn  those  plans,  and  to  use 
the  language  of  complaint,  would  not 
be  tolerated,  and  would  be  grossly 
improper.  How  much  more  so  when 
that  language  relates  to  the  Great, 
the  Infinite  God,  and  to  his  eternal 
plans  !'  It  may  be  added  here,  in 
accordance  with  the  sentiment  of 
Eliliu,  that  men  often  indulge  in 
thoughts  and  language  about  God 
which  they  would  not  tolerate  re- 
specting an  earthly  monarch. 


more   than   the   poor  ?  for    they 
all  are  the  work  of  his  hands. 

20  In  a  moment  shall  they  die, 
and  the  people  shall  be  troubled 
at  midnight,  and  pass  away  :  and 
'  the  mighty  shall  be  taken  away 
without  hand. 


1!K  How  much  less  to  him  that 
acceptcth  not  (he  person  of  princes. 
To  accept  the  person  of  any  one  is  to 
treat  him  with  special  favor  on  ac- 
count of  his  rank,  liis  wealth,  or  from 
favoritism  and  partiality.  This  God 
often  disclaims  in  respect  to  himself 
(comp.  Gal.ii.6.  Acts  x.  34.  2  Chron. 
xix.  7.  Rom.  ii.  11.  Eph.  vi.  9.  Col. 
iii.  2.5),  and  solemnl)'  forbids  it  in 
others.  See  James  ii.  1,  3,  ',).  Lev. 
xix.  15.  Deut.  i.  17,  xvi.  19.  The 
meaning  here  is,  that  God  is  entirely 
impartial  in  his  administration,  and 
treats  all  as  they  ought  to  be  treated. 
He  shows  favor  to  no  one  on  account 
of  wcaltii,  rank,  talent,  otfice,  or  gay- 
apparel,  and  he  excludes  no  one  from 
favor  on  account  of  poverty,  igno- 
rance, or  a  humble  rank  in  life.  Tiiis 
it  seems  was  an  admitted  sentiment 
in  the  time  of  Eliliu,  and  on  the 
ground  of  the  fact  that  it  was  indis- 
putable, he  strongly  argues  the  im- 
propriety of  calling  in  question  the 
equity  of  his  administration  in  lan- 
guage such  as  tliat  which  Job  had 
used.  ![  For  they  all  are  the  work  of 
his  hands.  He  regards  them  ail  as 
his  creatures.  No  one  has  any  spe- 
cial claim  on  him  on  accounJ;  of  rank, 
talent,  or  wealth.  Every  creature 
that  he  has  made,  liigh  and  low,  rich 
and  poor,  bond  and  free,  may  expect 
that  impartial  justice  will  be  done 
him,  and  that  his  external  circum- 
stances will  not  control  or  modifv  the 
divine  determinations  in  regard  to 
him,  or  the  di\ine  dealings  towards 
him. 

20.  In  a  moment  shall  they  die. 
That  is,  the  rich  and  the  great. 
Tiiey  pass  suddenly  off  the  stage  of 
action.  They  have  no  power  to  com- 
pel God  to  favor  them,  and  they  have 


164 


JOB. 


21  For  his  eyes  "  are  upon 
the  ways  of  man,  and  he  seeth  ' 
all  his  goings. 

a  2  Ch.  16.  9.    b  Ps   139.  2,  3.     c  Am.  9.  2,  3. 
He.  4.  13.     d  Re.  6.  15,  16. 

no  permanency  of  existence  here 
which  can  constitute  a  claim  on  his 
special  favor.  Soon  they  will  lie  un- 
distinguished in  the  dust.  All  are  in 
liis  hand  ;  and  when  he  wills  it,  they 
must  lie  down  in  the  dust  together. 
He  exempts  none  from  death  ;  spares 
none  on  account  of  beauty,  rank, 
wealth,  talent,  or  learning,  but  con- 
signs all  indiscriminately  to  the 
grave — showing  that  he  is  disposed 
to  treat  them  all  alike.  This  is  urged 
by  Elihu  as  a  proof  that  God  has  no 
partiality,  but  treats  all  men  as  being 
on  the  same  level — and  there  is  no 
more  striking  illustration  of  tliis  than 
is  furnished  by  death.  All  die.  None 
are  spared  on  account  of  title,  weallh, 
rank,  beauty,  age,  or  wisdom.  All 
die  in  a  manner  that  shows  that  he 
has  no  favoritism.  The  rich  man 
may  die  with  a  malady  as  painful  and 
protracted  as  the  poor  man  ;  the 
beautiful  and  accomplished  with  a 
disease  as  foul  and  loathsome  as  the 
beggar.  The  sad  change  tliat  the 
body  undergoes  in  the  tomb  is  as 
repulsive  in  the  one  case  as  in  the 
other  ;  and  amidst  all  the  splendor  of 
rank,  and  tiie  magnificence  of  dress 
and  equipage,  God  intends  to  keep 
the  great  truth  before  the  minds  of 
men,  that  they  are  really  on  a  level, 
and  that  all  must  share  at  his  hand 
alike.  TI  And  the  people  shall  be 
troubled.  They  shall  be  shaken,  agi- 
tated, alarmed.  They  dread  impend- 
ing danger,  or  the  prospect  of  sudden 
destruction.  H  At  viidnight.  The 
image  here  is  probably  taken  from 
an  earthquake,  or  from  a  sudden  on- 
set made  by  a  band  of  robbers  on  a 
village  at  night.  The  essential 
thought  is  that  of  the  sttddenncss 
with  which  God  can  take  away  the 
mighty  and  the  mean  together.  No- 
thing ran  resist  him,  and  as  he  has 
this  absolute  control  over  men,  and 
deals    with  all    alike,  there  is  great 


22  There  is  no  darkness, ""  nor 
shadow  of  death,  where  the  work- 
ers of  iniquity  may  hide  ''■  them- 
selves. 


impropriety    in    complaining   of    his 

government.  T  And  the  m/'ghtij. 
iMarg.  They  shall  take  aicay  the 
mighty.  The  idea  is,  that  the  great 
shall  be  removed — to  wit,  In-  sudden 
death  or  by  overwhelming  calamity. 
The  argument  of  Elihu  in  this  pus- 
sage  (vs.  18-20)  is,  that  it  would  be 
esteemed  great  presun)ption  to  ar- 
raign tlie  conduct  of  a  prince  or  king, 
and  it  must  be  much  more  so  to  call 
in  question  the  doings  of  him  who  ia 
so  superior  to  princes  and  kings  that 
he  shows  thevi  no  partiality  on  ac- 
count of  their  rank,  but  sweeps  tiiem 
away  by  sudden  calamit)-  as  he  docs 
the  most  humble  of  mankind.  U 
Without  hand.  That  is,  without  any 
human  instrumentalit}-,  or  wilJiout 
the  use  of  any  visible  means.  It  is 
by  a  word — by  an  expression  of  his 
will — by  power  where  the  agency  is 
not  seen.  The  design  is,  to  show 
that  God  can  do  it  with  infinite  ease. 

21.  For  his  eyes  are  itpon  the  icays 
of  man.  None  can  escape  from  his 
notice.     Comp.  Ps.  cxxxix.  2,  3. 

22.  There  is  no  darkness.  No 
dark  cavern  which  can  furnish  a 
place  of  concealment.  The  guilty 
usually  take  refuge  in  some  obscure 
place  where  men  cannot  detect  them. 
But  Eliliu  savs  that  man  has  no  power 
of  concealing  himself  tiius  from  God. 
H  JS'or  shadoic  of  death.  A  phrase 
here  signifying  deep  darkness.  See 
it  explained  in  the  Notes  on  ch.  iii.  n. 
IT  Where  the  workers  nf  iniquity  may 
hide  thernsclres.  That  is,  where 
they  may  conceal  tliemselves  so  as 
not  to  be  detected  by  God.  They 
may  conceal  themselves  from  the  no- 
tice of  man  ;  they  may  escape  the 
most  vigilant  police  ;  tiiey  may  elude 
all  the  officers  of  justice  on  eartli. 
But  they  cannot  be  hid  from  God. 
There  is  an  eye  that  se«s  their  lurk- 
ing places,  and  there  is  a  hand  that 
will  drag  them  forth  to  justice. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


166 


23  For  he  will  not  lay  upon 
man  more  than  "  rigid,  tliat  he 
should  'enter  into  judgment  with 
God. 

24  lie  shall    break   in  pieces 

a  Is.  40.  3.   1  Cor.  10.  I.'?. 
]    'JO.         2  i-'iirchiitir  out.         3  criL-hed. 

2\i.  For  he  will  not  lay  upon  mini 
more  t):an  right.  Ver}'  various  trans- 
lations have  been  given  of  this  verse. 
According  to  our  coinnion  version,  it 
means  that  God  will  not  deal  with 
man  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give  liim 
just  reason  ibr  calling  in  question  the 
rectitude  of  the  divine  dealings.  He 
shall  in  no  case  receive  more  than  his 
sins  deserve,  so  as  to  give  him  cause 
for  complaint.  This  is  undoubtedly 
a  correct  sentiment  ;  but  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  it  is  the  sense  con- 
veyed by  the  original.  Umbreit  ren- 
ders it  : 

Denn  et  braucht  auf  einom  Blann  niclit  lang 

zu  achten 
Uni  ilim  vor  Gott  in  das  Gericht  zu  zielicn. 

'  For  he  needs  not  long  to  regard  a 
man  in  ordei  to  bring  him  before  God 
in  judgment  ' — meaning  that  he  has 
all  power  ;  that  he  can  at  once  see 
all  his  character  ;  and  that  he  can 
bring  him  at  once  to  his  bar.  This 
translation  undoubtedly  accords  with 
the  general  scope  of  the  argument. 
Noyes  renders  it : 

He  needeth  not  attend  Ions  to  a  man, 
To  bring  him  into  judgment  before  God. 

Wemyss  renders  it  in  a  similar  way  . 

lie  has  no  need  of  laborious  inquiry, 
In  order  to  convict  men  at  his  tribunal. 

Rosenmtlller  gives  a  similar  sense  to 
tlie  passage.  According  to  this,  the 
meaning  is,  that  there  is  no  need  that 
God  should  give  long  attention  to  a 
ip.an,  or  go  into  a  protracted  investi- 
gation, in  order  that  he  may  bring 
him  to  judgment.  He  knows  him  at 
a  glance.  He  can  at  once  convict 
him,  and  can  decide  the  case  in  a 
moment  without  danger  of  error. 
Human  tribunals  are  under  a  neces- 
sity of  long  and  patient  investigation, 
and  then  are  often  deceived  ;  but  no 
Euch  necessity,  and  no  such  danger, 


mighty  men  without  "  number, 
and  set  others  in  their  stead. 

25  Therefore  he  knoweth 
their  works,  and  he  overturneth 
them  in  the  night,  so  that  they 
are  ^destroyed. 

pertains  to  God.  This  interpretation 
agrees  with  the  scope  of  the  passage 
(comp.  Notes  on  v*r.  J24),  and  seems 
to  me  to  be  correct.  The  Hebrew 
literally  is,  'For  not  upon  man  will 
he  j)lace  [scil.  his  mind  or  attention] 
long  that  he  should  go  before  God  in 
judgment ;'  that  is,  there  is  no  need 
of  long  and  anxious  investigation  on 
his  part,  in  order  that  he  may  prove 
that  it  is  right  for  him  to  cut  man  off. 
He  maj'  do  it  at  once,  and  no  one 
has  a  right  to  complain. 

S"!.  He  shall  hriak  in  pieces.  He 
crushes  or  destroys  the  great.  He  is 
not  intimidated  by  (heir  wealth,  their 
rank,  or  their  number.  II  With- 
out number,  ftlarg.  more  correctly, 
searching  out.  That  is,  he  does  it 
without  the  protracted  process  of  a 
judicial  investigation.  The  Hebrew 
word  here  used  ("^i^D)  means  proper- 
ly a  searching  otit,  an  examination , 
and  the  meaning  here  is,  that  there 
is  no  need  of  his  going  into  a  pro- 
tracted investigation  into  the  lives  of 
wicked  men  before  he  brings  them  to 
punishment.  He  sees  them  at  once  ; 
knows  all  their  conduct,  and  may 
proceed  against  them  without  delay. 
Hence  it  is  that  he  comes  often  in 
such  a  sudden  manner,  and  cuts  them 
ofl".  A  human  tribimal  is  under  a 
necessity  of  examining  witnc-ses  and 
of  attending  to  all  the  palliating  cir- 
cumstances, before  it  can  pronounce 
a  sentence  on  an  oflender.  But  it  is 
not  so  with  God.  He  judges  at  once 
and  directlv,  and  come's  forth  there- 
fore in  a  sudden  manner  to  cut  down 
the  guilty.  IT  .^nd  set  others  in  their 
stead.  Place  others  in  the  situation 
which  they  now  occupy.  That  is, 
he  can  with  the  utmost  ease  make 
entire  revolutions  among  men. 

2-5.     Therefore    he    hnoicelh     theii 


166 


JOB. 


26  He  striketh  them  as  wick- 
ed men  in  the  open  '  sight  "  of 
others ; 

27  Because  they  turned  back 
^frorn  him,  and  ''  would  not  con- 
sider any  of  his  ways  : 

28  So  that  they  cause  the  cry 

1  place  of  beholders.  a  1  Ti.  5.  24. 

2  from  after.  b  Pr.  1.  29,  30. 


works.  Or,  '  Because  lie  knoweth 
their  works.'  The  word  (1?^)  here 
rendered  '  tlierefore '  is  evidently 
used  as  denoting  that  since  or  because 
he  was  intimately  acquainted  with 
all  which  they  did,  he  could  justly 
bring  vengeance  upon  them  without 
long  investigation.  IT  Jlnd  he  ovcr- 
turncth  them  in  the  night.  Literally, 
'  he  turneth  night  ;'  meaning,  proba- 
bly, he  turns  night  upon  them  ;  that 
is,  he  brings  calamity  upon  them. 
The  word  night  is  often  used  to  de- 
note calamity,  or  ruin.  Umbreit  un- 
derstands it  in  ths  sense  of  turning 
about  the  night ;  that  is,  that  they 
had  covered  up  their  deeds  as  in  the 
night,  but  that  God  so  turns  the  night 
about  as  to  bring  them  to  the  light  of 
day.  The  Vulgate  renders  it,  et  ide- 
ireo  inducit  noctem,  '  and  therefore  he 
brings  night ;'  that  is,  he  brings  ad- 
versity and  ruin.  This  is  probably 
the  correct  interpretation.  IT  So  that 
they  are  destroyed.  I\Iarg.  crushed. 
The  idea  is,  that  when  God  thus 
brings  adversity  upon  them,  they  are 
prostrated  beneath  his  power. 

26.  He  striketh  them  as  icicked  men. 
Literally,  '  Under  the  wicked,  or  on 
account  of  the  wicked,  he  smites 
them.'  That  is,  he  deals  with  them 
as  if  they  were  wicked  ;  he  regards 
and  treats  them  as  such.  He  deals 
with  them  under  the  general  charac- 
ter of  wicked  men,  and  punishes 
them  accordingly.  H  Jn  the  open 
sight  of  others.  Marg.  as  in  Ileb.  in 
the  place  of  beholders.  The  idea  is, 
that  it  is  done  openly  or  publicly. 
Their  sins  had  been  committed  in  se- 
cret, but  they  are  punished  openly. 
The  manifestation  of  the  divine  dis- 
pleasure is  in  the  presence  of  specta- 


of  the  poor  to  come  unto  him, 
and  he  heareth  "  the  cry  of  the 
afflicted. 

29  When  he  "^  giveth  quiet- 
ness, who  then  can  make  trou- 
ble ?  and  when  he  hideth  '  his 
face,  who  then  can  behold  him  ? 

c  Ex.  22.  27.  d  Ro.  8.  31-34. 

e  Ps.  143.  7. 

tors,  or  is  so  open  and  public,  that  it 
cannot  but  be  seen.  It  is  very  pro- 
bable that  in  all  this  description  Eli- 
hu  had  his  eye  upon  the  public  cala- 
mities which  had  come  upon  Job, 
and  that  he  meant  to  include  him 
among  the  number  of  mighty  men 
whom  God  thus  suddenly  overturn- 
ed. 

27.  Because  they  turned  lack  from 
him.  Marg.  from  after  him.  That 
is,  they  receded,  or  went  away  from 
God.  U  And  icould  not  consider  any 
of  his  icays.  They  would  not  regard 
or  attend  to  any  of  his  commands. 
The  word  icay.,  in  the  Scriptures,  is 
often  used  to  denote  religion.  A 
way  denotes  the  course  of  life  which 
one  leads ;  the  path  in  which  he 
walks.  The  '  ways  of  God  '  denote 
his  course  or  plan,  his  precepts  or 
laws  ;  and  to  depart  from  them,  or  to 
disregard  them,  is  only  another  mode 
of  saying  that  a  man  has  no  religion. 

23.  So  that  they  cause  the  cry  of  the 
poor  to  come  unto  hivi.  Their  char- 
acter is  that  of  oppressors.  They 
take  away  the  rights  of  the  poor ; 
strip  away  their  property  without  any 
just  claims,  and  cause  them  to  pour 
out  their  lamentations  beiore  God.  IT 
,^nd  he  heareth  the  cry  of  the  afflicted. 
'  They  oppress  the  poor  so  that  they 
appeal  unto  him,  but  God  hears  their 
cry,  and  brings  punislunent  upon  the 
oppressor.  This  is  a  gmrral  remark 
thrown  in  here,  meaning  that  God 
always  regards  the  cry  of  the  oppress- 
ed. Its  bearing  on  the  case  before 
us  is,  that  God  hears  the  appeal 
which  the  oppressed  make  to  him, 
and  as  a  consequence  brings  cahnuify 
upon  those  who  are  guilty  of  wrong. 

29.    When  he gireth  quietness.    That 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


Ifi7 


whether  it  be  done  against  a  na- 
tion, or  against  a  man  only  : 

a  1  Ki.  12.  28. 

is,  when  God  designs  to  give  rest, 
comfort,  ease,  or  prosperity  in  any 
way  to  a  man.  The  Hebrew  word 
here  used  may  refer  to  any  kind  of 
ease,  rest,  or  peaee.  Tlie  idea  which 
Elihu  intends  to  convey  is,  that  God 
lias  all  things  under  his  control,  and 
that  he  can  bring  prosperity  or  adver- 
sity upon  an  individual  or  a  nation 
at  his  own  pleasure.  II  Who  tlun  can 
make  trouble?     Literally,  'Who  can 

condemn,  or  hold  guilty  ' — ?^"i"!. 
The  sense  is,  that  no  one  can  over- 
whelm him  with  the  consciousness 
of  guilt,  to  whom  God  intends  to 
give  the  peace  resulting  from  his  fa- 
vor and  Iricndship.  Or,  no  one  can 
bring  calamities  upon  a  man  as  if  he 
were  guilty,  or  so  as  to  s/iow  that  he 
is  guilty,  when  God  intends  to  treat 
him  as  if  he  were  not.  This  is  as 
true  now  as  it  was  in  the  time  of  Eli- 
hu. When  God  designs  to  give 
peace  to  a  man's  soul,  and  to  impart 
to  him  the  evidence  that  his  sins  are 
forgiven,  there  is  no  one  who  can 
excite  in  his  mind  the  conviction  of 
guilt,  or  take  away  the  comfort  that 
God  gives.  When  he  designs  to 
treat  a  man  as  if  he  were  his  Iriend, 
and  to  impart  to  Jiim  such  evidences 
of  his  favor  as  shall  convince  the 
world  that  he  is  his  friend,  there  is 
no  one  who  can  prevent  it.  ISo  one 
can  so  calumniate  him,  or  so  preju- 
dice tlie  world  against  him,  or  so 
arrest  the  descending  tokens  of  the 
divine  favor,  as  to  turn  back  the  proof 
of  the  favor  of  God.  Comp.  Prov. 
xvi.  7.  U  .liid  irhen  he  hidetk  his 
face.  To  hide  the  face,  is  a  conmion 
e.xpression  in  the  Scriptures  to  denote 
calamity,  distress,  and  the  want  of 
spiritaal  comfort,  as  the  e?cpression 
'to  lift  up  the  light  of  the  counte- 
nance '  is  a  common  phrase  to  denote 
the  opposite.  Comp.  ch.  xiii.  24.  1l 
fVho  then  can  hchold  him  ?  An  ex- 
pression denoting  that  no  one  can 
then    have   cheering    and   elevating 


30  That  the  hypocrite  reign 
not,  lest  the  people  "  be  ensnar- 
ed. 


views  of  God.  No  one  can  then 
have  those  clear  conceptions  of  his 
character  and  government  which  will 
give  peace  to  the  soul.  This  is  also 
as  true  now  as  it  was  in  the  time  of 
Elihu.  We  are  dependent  on  God 
himself  for  any  just  views  of  his  own 
character,  for  any  elevating  and  puri- 
fying conceptions  of  his  government 
and  plans,  and  for  any  consolation 
flowing  in  upon  our  souls  from  the 
evidence  that  he  is  our  friend.  1! 
Whether  it  be  done  against  a  nation, 
or  against  a  man  only.  The  same 
truth  pertains  to  nations  and  to  indi- 
viduals. The  same  laws  respecting 
the  sources  of  peace  and  happiness 
apply  to  both.  Both  are  alike  de- 
pendent on  God,  and  neither  can  se- 
cure permanent  peace  and  prosperity 
without  him.  Both  are  alike  at  his 
sovereign  disposal  ;  and  neither  can 
originate  permanent  sources  of  pros- 
perity. This,  too,  is  as  true  now  as 
it  was  in  the  time  of  Elihu.  Nations 
are  more  prone  to  forget  it  than  indi 
viduals  are,  but  still  it  is  a  great  truth 
which  should  never  be  forgotten,  that 
neither  have  power  to  originate  or 
perpetuate  the  means  of  happiness, 
but  that  both  are  alike  dejiendent  on 
God. 

30.  That  the  hypocrite  reign  not. 
All  this  is  done  to  prevent  wicked 
men  from  ruling  over  the  people. 
The  remarks  of  Elihu  had  had  re 
spect  much  to  princes  and  kings,  and 
he  had  shown  that  however  great 
they  were,  they  were  in  the  hands  of 
God,  and  were  wholly  at  his  dis 
posal.  He  now  says  that  the  design 
of  his  dealings  with  them  was  to  pre- 
vent their  oppressing  their  fellow- 
men.  The  general  scope  of  the  re- 
marks of  Elihu  is,  that  God  is  the 
universal  Sovereign  ;  that  he  has  all 
men  under  liis  control,  and  that  there 
are  none  so  powerful  as  to  be  able  to 
resist  his  will.  The  remark  in  this 
verse  is  tlirown  in,  not  as  illustrating 


16b 


JOB. 


31   Surely  it  is  meet  to  be  said 
unto  God,  I  "  have  borne  chas- 


a  Da.  9.  7-14. 


this  general  sentiment,  but  to  sliovv 
what  was  in  fact  the  aim  for  wliich 
he  tiuis  interposed — to  save  men  from 
being  oppressed  and  crushed  by  those 
in  authoritj'.  IT  Lest  the  people  he 
ensnared.  Heb.  "  From  their  being 
snarers  of  the  people."  He  thrusts 
down  the  mighty,  in  order  that  they 
may  not  be  left  to  take  the  people  as 
wild  beasts  are  taken  in  the  toils. 
They  were  disposed  to  make  use  of 
their  power  to  oppress  others,  but 
God  interposes,  and  the  people  are 
saved.  For  a  fuller  view  of  this 
verse,  see  the  remarks  of  Rosen- 
mQller. 

31.  Surely  it  is  meet  to  be  said  vnlo 
God.  It  is  evident  that  this  verse 
commences  a  new  strain  of  remark, 
and  that  it  is  designed  particularly  to 
bring  Job  to  proper  reflections  in 
view  of  what  had  occurred.  There 
has  Ijcen,  however,  much  diversity  of 
opinion  about  the  meaning  of  this 
and  the  following  verses.  k?chultens 
enumerates  no  less  than  fifteen  dif- 
ferent interpretations  which  have 
been  given  of  this  verse.  The  general 
meaning  seems  to  be,  that  a  man  who 
is  afflicted  ought  to  submit  to  God, 
and  not  to  murmur  or  complain.  He 
ought  to  suppose  that  there  is  some 
good  reason  for  what  God  does,  and 
to  be  resigned  to  his  will,  even  where 
he  cannot  sec  the  reason  of  his  dis- 
pensations. The  drift  of  all  the  re- 
marks of  Elihu  is,  that  God  is  a  great 
and  inscrutable  Sovereign ;  that  he 
has  a  right  to  reign,  and  that  man 
should  submit  unqualifiedly  to  him. 
In  this  passage  he  does  not  reproach 
Job  harshly.  He  does  not  say  that 
lie  had  been  guilty  of  great  crimes. 
He  does  not  affirm  that  the  sentiments 
of  the  three  friends  of  Job  were  cor- 
rect, or  maintain  that  Job  was  a  hypo- 
crite. He  states  a  general  truth, 
wliich  he  considers  applicable  to  all, 
and  says  that  it  becomes  all  who  are 
afflicted  to  submit  to  God,  and  to  re- 
solve   to    offend  no   more  ;  to   go  to 


tisement,  I  will  not  offend  any 

more  : 


God  with  the  language  of  humble 
confession,  and  when  every  thing  is 
dark  and  gloomy  in  the  divine  deal- 
ings to  implore  his  teachings,  and  to 
entreat  him  to  shed  light  on  the  path. 
Hence  he  says,  '  It  is  meet  or  proper 
to  use  this  language  before  God.  It 
becomes  man.  He  should  presume 
that  God  is  right,  and  that  he  lias 
some  good  reasons  for  his  dealings, 
though  they  are  inscrutable.  Even 
when  a  sufferer  is  not  to  be  reckoned 
among  the  most  vile  and  wicked ; 
when  he  is  conscious  that  his  general 
aim  has  been  to  do  right ;  and  when 
his  external  character  has  been  fair, 
it  is  to  be  presumed  to  be  possible  that 
he  may  have  sinned.  He  may  not 
have  wholly  known  himself.  He 
may  have  indulged  in  things  that 
were  wrong  without  having  been 
scarcely  csanscious  of  it.  He  may 
have  loved  the  world  too  much  ;  may 
have  fixed  his  affections  with  idola- 
trous attachment  on  his  property  or 
friends  ;  may  have  had  a  temper  such 
as  ought  not  to  be  indulged  ;  or  he 
may  have  relied  on  wiiat  he  possess- 
ed, and  thus  failed  to  recognize  hi^ 
dependence  on  God.  In  such  cases, 
it  becomes  man  to  have  so  much  con- 
fidence in  God  as  to  go  and  acknow- 
ledge his  right  to  inflict  chastisement, 
and  to  entreat  him  to  teach  the  suf- 
ferer why  he  is  thus  afllicted.'  1! 
I  have  borne  chastisement.  The  word 
chastisement  is  not  in  the  Hebrew. 
The  Hebrew  is  simply  "^f^X'^^'J  — 1 
hate  borne,  or  /  bear.  Umbreit  ren- 
ders it,  "  I  repent."  Some  word  like 
chastisement  or  punishment  must  be 
understood  after  "  I  have  borne." 
The  idea  evidently  is,  that  a  man 
who  is  afllicted  by  God,  even  when 
he  cannot  see  the  reason  why  he  is 
afflicted,  and  when  he  is  not  con- 
scious that  he  has  been  guilty  of  any 
particular  sin  that  led  to  it,  should  be 
willing  to  regard  it  as  a  p/ roof  thai  he 
is  guilty,  and  should  examine  and 
correct  his  life.     But  there  is  a  grea< 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


leo 


32  That  rohich  I  see  not, 
teach  "  thou  me  :  if  I  have  done 
iniquity,  1  ''  will  do  no  more. 

33  Should  it  be  '  according  to 
thy   mind  ?  he  will  recompense 


variety  of  opinion  in  regard  to  the 
meaning  of  this  passage — no  less  tlian 
fifteen  diflerent  interpretations  being 
enumerated  b}-  Schultens.  II  /  7viU 
not  offend  any  more.  ''31^  ^  — "  I 
will  not  act  wickedly  ;  I  will  no  more 
do  corruptly."  The  sense  is,  tliat  his 
afllictions  should  lead  him  to  a  reso- 
lution to  reform  his  life,  and  to  sin  no 
more.  This  just  and  beautiful  senti- 
ment is  as  applicable  to  us  now  as  it 
was  to  the  afflicted  in  the  time  of 
Elihu.  It  is  a  common  thing  to  be 
afllicted.  Trial  often  comes  upon 
us  when  we  can  see  no  particular  sin 
which  has  led  to  it,  and  no  special 
reason  why  we  should  be  afflicted 
rather  than  others.  We  should,  how- 
ever, regard  it  as  a  proof  tliat  there  is 
something  in  our  hearts  or  lives  which 
may  be  amended,  and  should  endea- 
vor to  ascertain  what  it  is,  and  resolve 
to  offend  no  more.  Any  one,  if  he 
will  examine  himself  carefully,  can 
lind  sufficient  reasons  wliy  he  should 
be  visited  with  the  rod  of  chastise- 
ment, and  though  we  may  not  be  able 
to  see  wliy  others  are  preserved  from 
such  calamities,  yet  we  can  see  that 
there  are  reasons  in  abundance  why 
?oc  should  be  recalled  from  our  wan- 
derings. 

32.  That  which  I  sec  not,  teach  thou 
mc.  That  is,  in  regard  to  my  errors 
and  sins.  No  prayer  could  be  more 
appropriate  than  this.  It  is  language 
becoming  every  one  who  is  afflicted, 
and  who  does  not  see  clearly  the 
reason  why  it  is  done.  The  sense  is, 
that  with  a  full  belief  that  lie  is  liable 
to  error  and  sin,  that  he  lias  a  wicked 
and  deceitful  heart,  and  that  God 
never  afflicts  without  reason,  he 
should  go  to  him  and  ask  him  to 
show  him  why  ho  has  afflicted  him. 
He  should  not  murmur  or  repine  ;  he 
should  not  accuse  God  of  injustice  or 

VOL.  II.  S 


it,  whether  thou  refuse,  or  whe- 
ther thou  choose  ;  and  not  I  . 
therefore  speak  what  thou  know- 
est. 

a  Vs.  32.  8.      b  Ep.  4.  22.       1  from  with  thee,  f 

partiality  ;  he  should  not  attempt  to 
cloak  his  offences,  but  should  go 
and  entreat  him  to  make  him  ac- 
quainted with  the  sins  of  heart  and 
life  which  have  led  to  these  calami- 
ties. Then  only  will  he  be  in  a  state 
of  mind  in  which  lie  will  be  likely  to 
be  profited  by  trials.  H  If  I  have  done 
iiiiqi/itij,  I  ipill  do  no  more.  Admit- 
ting the  possibility  that  he  had  erred. 
Who  is  there  that  -cannot  appro- 
priately use  this  language  when  he  is 
afflicted  .' 

33.  Should  it  be  according  to  thy 
mind  ?  Blarg.  as  in  Heb.  "  from  with 
thee  " —  ?j53J>/Oil  .     There    has    been 

much  diversity  of  opinion  in  regard 
to  the  meaning  of  this  verse.  It  is 
exceedingly  obscure  in  the  original, 
and  has  the  appearance  of  being  a 
proverbial  expression.  The  general 
sense  seems  to  be,  that  God  will  not 
be  regulated  in  his  dealings  by  what 
may  be  the  views  of  man,  or  by  what 
man  might  be  disposed  to  choose  or 
refuse.  He  will  act  according  to  his 
own  views  of  what  is  right  and 
proper  to  be  done.  The  phrase, 
"  should  it  be  according  to  thy  mind," 
means  that  it  is  not  to  be  expected 
that  God  will  consult  the  views  and 
feelings  of  man  rather  than  his  own. 
IT  He  loilL  recompense  it.  He  will 
visit  with  good  or  evil,  prosperity  or 
adversity,  according  as  he  shall  judge 
to  be  right.  IT  Whether  than  refuse, 
or  ichctker  thoti  choose.  Whatever 
may  be  your  preferences  or  wishes. 
He  will  act  according  to  his  own 
views  of  right.  The  idea  is,  that 
God  is  absolute  and  independent,  and 
does  according  to  his  own  pleasure. 
He  is  a  just  Sovereign,  dispensing  his 
favors  and  appointing  calamity,  not 
according  to  the  will  of  individual 
men,  but  holding  the  scales  impar- 
tially, and  doing  what  he  esteems  te 


170 


JOB. 


34  Let  men  of  '  understand- 
ing tell  me,  and  let  a  wise  man 
hearken  unto  me. 

35  Job  hath  spoken  without  ° 
knowledge,  and  his  words  iccre 
without  wisdom. 

be  riglit.  ^  Jindnot  I.  RosenniQller, 
Drusius,  De  Wette,  and  Noyes,  ren- 
der this,  "  And  not  lie,"  supposing 
that  it  refers  to  God,  and  means  that 
the  arrangements  whicli  are  to  afleet 
men  shouki  he  as  he  pleases,  and  not 
such  as  man  would  prefer.  Unibreit 
explains  it  as  meaning,  "  It  is  for  you 
to  determine  in  this  matter,  not  for 
me.  You  are  the  person  most  in- 
terested. I  am  not  particularly  con- 
cerned. Do  you,  therefore,  speak 
and  determine  the  matter,  if  you 
know  what  is  the  truth."  The  Vul- 
gate renders  it,  "Will  God  seek  that 
from  tliee  because  it  displeases  thee  ? 
For  thou  hast  begun  to  speak,  not  I  : 
for  if  thou  knowest  any  things  better, 
speak."  So  Coverdale,  "Wilt  thou 
not  give  a  reasonable  answer  .'  Art 
thou  afraid  of  any  thing,  seeing  thou 
begannest  first  to  speak,  and  not  I.'" 
The  great  difficulty  of  the  whole 
verse  may  be  seen  by  consulting 
Schultens,  who  gives  no  less  than 
seventeen  difl'erent  interpretations, 
which  have  been  proposed — his  own 
being  different  from  all  others.  He 
renders  it,  "  Lo,  he  will  repay  you  in 
your  own  way ;  for  thou  art  full 
of  sores — namque  suhulceratus  es  : 
which,  indeed,  thou  hast  chosen,  and 
not  I — and  what  dost  thou  know  ? 
speak."  I  confess  that  I  cannot  un- 
derstand the  passage,  nor  do  any  of 
the  interpretations  proposed  seem  to 
be  free  from  objections.  I  would 
submit  the  following,  however,  as  a 
paraphrase  made  from  the  Hebrew, 
and  differing  somewhat  from  any  in- 
terpretation which  I  have  seen,  as 
possibly  expressing  the  true  sense  of 
the  whole  verse.  '  Shall  it  be  from 
thee  that  God  will  send  retribution 
on  it  [that  is,  on  human  conduct], 
because  thou  refusestor  art  reluctant, 
or   because   it  is   not  in   accordance 


3G  My  ^desire  is,  that  Job 
may  be  tried  unto  the  end,  be- 
cause of  his  answers  for  wicked 
men. 

1  heart.  a  c.  38.  2. 

2  or,  My  father ,  let  Job  be  tried. 

with  thy  views.''  For  thou  must 
choose,  and  not  I.  Settle  this  matter, 
for  it  pertains  particularly  to  you,  and 
not  to  me,  and  what  thou  knowest, 
speak.  If  thou  hast  any  views  in  re- 
gard to  this,  let  them  be  expressed, 
for  it  is  important  to  know  on  what 
principles  God  deals  with  men.' 

34,  35.  Let  men  of  understanding. 
Marg.  as  in  Heb.  heart.  The  hearty 
as  there  has  been  frequent  occasion 
to  remark,  in  the  Scriptures  is  often 
used  to  denote  the  seat  of  the  mind 
or  soul,  as  the  head  is  with  us. 
Rosenmuller,  Unibreit,  and  Noyes, 
render  this  passage  as  if  it  were  to  be 
taken  in  connection  with  the  follow- 
ing verse,  "  Men  of  understanding 
will  sa}',  and  a  wise  man  who  hears 
my  views  will  unite  in  saying,  'Job 
has  spoken  without  knowledge,  and 
his  words  are  without  wisdom.'  " 
According  to  this,  the  two  verses  ex- 
press a  sentiment  in  which  Elihu 
supposes  every  wise  man  who  had 
attended  to  him  would  concur,  that 
what  Job  had  said  was  not  founded 
in  knowledge  or  on  true  wisdom. 

36.  Mij  desire  is.  Marg.  "  or,  my 
father.,  let  Job  he  tried.''  This  varia- 
tion between  the  text  and  the  margin, 
arises  from  the  different  interpreta- 
tions affixed  to  the  Hebrew  word 
"^Si*  — dli.  The  Hebrew  vi'ord  com- 
monly means  "  father,"  and  some 
have  supposed  that  that  sense  is  lo  be 
retained  here,  and  then  it  would  be  a 
solemn  appeal  to  God  as  his  Father — 
expressing  the  earnest  prayer  of 
Elihu  that  Job  might  be  full}'  tried. 
But  the  difficulties  in  this  interpreta- 
tion are  obvious.  (1.)  Sucli  a  mode 
of  appeal  to  God  occurs  nowhere  else 
in  the  book,  and  it  is  little  in  the 
spirit  of  the  poem.  No  particular 
reason  can  be  assigned  why  that  sol- 
emn   appeal    should   be   made   here, 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


171 


37  For   he 

unto    his    sin  : 


addeth    rebellion 
he   clappeth    his 


rallior  than  in  many  other  phices. 
(2.)  The  name  Fdtlnr,  thougli  often 
given  to  God  in  the  Scriptures,  is  not 
elsewhere  given  to  liim  in  tliis  book. 
The  probability  is,  therefore,  that  the 
word  is  from  "^S^  — to  breathe  after, 
to  desire,  and  means  that  Elihu  de- 
sired that  Job  should  have  a  fair  trial. 
No  other  similar  form  of  the  word, 
liovvever,  occurs.  The  Vulgate  ren- 
ders it,  Pater  mi,  my  father ;  the 
LAX,  "But  learn.  Job,  no  more  to 
make  reply  like  the  foolish  ;"  the 
Chaldee,  NJ'^aU—/  desire.  U  Maij 
be  tried.  That  his  views  may  be  fully- 
canvassed  and  examined.  He  liad 
expressed  sentiments  which  Elihu 
thought  should  not  l)e  allowed  to  pass 
without  the  most  careful  examination 
into  their  trutii  and  bearing.  IT  Unto 
the  end.  In  the  most  full  and  free 
manner;  that  the  matter  should  be 
pursued  as  far  as  possible,  so  that  it 
might  be  wholly  understood.  Liter- 
ally, it  means/or  ever —  '^^?."'^?  .  IT 
Beeanse  of  his  answers  for  u-iched 
men.  Because  of  the  views  which 
he  has  expressed,  which  seem  to  favor 
the  wicked.  Elihu  refers  to  the 
opinions  advanced  by  Job  that  God 
did  not  punish  men  in  this  life,  or  did 
not  deal  with  them  according  to  their 
characters,  which  he  interpreted  as 
giving  countenance  to  w'ickedness,  or 
as  affirming  that  God  was  not  the 
enem}-  of  impiety.  The  Vulgate  ren- 
ders this,  "  My  Father,  let  Job  be 
tried  to  the  end  ;  do  not  cease  from 
the  man  of  iniquity  ;"  but  the  true 
meaning  doubtless  is,  that  Job  liad 
uttered  sentiments  which  Elihu  un- 
derstood to  favor  the  wicked,  and  he 
was  desirous  that  every  trial  should 
be  applied  to  him  which  would  tend 
to  correct  his  erroneous  views. 

37.  For  he  addeth  rebellion  unto  his 
sin.  To  the  sin  which  he  has  for- 
merlv  committed,  and  which  lias 
brought  these  trials  upon  him,  he  now 


hands  amongst  us,  and  multipli- 
etli  his  words  against  God. 


adds  tlic  sin  of  murmuring  and  rebel- 
lion against  God.  Of  Job,  this  was 
certainly  not  true  to  the  extent  which 
Elihu  intended,  but  it  is  a  very  com- 
mon case  in  afHietions.  A  man  is 
visited  with  calamity  as  a  chastise 
ment  for  his  sins.  Instead  of  search- 
ing out  the  cause  wliy  he  is  afflicted, 
or  bowing  with  resignation  to  tlie 
superior  wisdom  of  God  when  lie 
cannot  sec  any  cause,  he  regards  him- 
self as  unjustly  dealt  with  ;  complains 
of  the  government  of  God  as  severe, 
and  gives  oceasion  for  a  severer  calam- 
ity in  some  other  form.  The  result 
is  often  that  he  is  visited  with  severe 
affliction,  and  is  made  to  see  both  his 
original  offence  and  the  accumulated 
guilt  which  has  made  a  new  form  ot 
punishment  necessary.  IT  He  clap- 
peth his  hands  amongst  ns.  To  clap 
tlie  hands  is  either  a  signal  of  ap- 
plause or  triumph,  or  a  mark  of  indig- 
nation. Num.  xxiv.  10,  or  of  derision, 
ch.  xxvii.23.  It  seems  to  be  used  in 
some  such  sense  here,  as  expressing 
contempt  or  derision  for  the  sentiments 
of  his  friends.  The  meaning  is,  that 
instead  of  treating  the  subject  under 
discussion  with  a  calm  spirit  and  a 
disposition  to  learn  the  truth  and 
profit  by  it,  he  had  manifested  in 
relation  to  the  whole  matter  great 
disrespect,  and  had  conducted  like 
one  who  attempts  to  silence  others,  or 
who  shows  his  contempt  for  tliem  by 
clapping  his  hands  at  them.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  say,  that,  not- 
withstanding all  the  professed  candor 
and  impartiality  ofEliliu,  this  is  a  most 
unfair  representation  of  the  general 
spirit  of  Job.  That  he  had  sometimes 
given  vent  to  improper  feelings  tliero 
can  be  no  doubt,  but  nothing  had  oc 
curred  to  justify  this  statement.  I'l 
And  miiUiplieth  his  icords  against 
God.  That  is,  his  arguments  are 
against  the  justice  of  his  government 
and  dealings.  In  the  peculiar  phrase 
here  used — "  lie  multiplieth  icords,'^ 
Elihu  means,  probably,  to  say,  that 


172 


JOB. 


there  was  more  of  words  than  of 
argument  in  wliat  Job  had  said,  and 
that  he  was  not  content  even  with 
expressing  liis  improper  feelings  once, 


but  that  lie  piled  words  on  words,  and 
epithet  on  epithet,  that  he  might- 
more  fully  give  utterance  to  his  re* 
proachful  feelings  against  his  Maker 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 


ANALYSIS    OF    THE    CHAPTER. 


This  chapter  comprises  the  third  speech  of  Elihu,  in  whicli  lie  examines  one  of  the  opinions 
which  he  understood  Job  to  advance.  It  consists  of  two  parts — (1.)  A  statement  of  the  opinion 
which  he  understood  Job  to  maintain,  vs.  1-3.  This  was,tliat  liis  righteousness  was  more  than 
God's  ;  and  that  it  was  no  advantage  to  be  pious,  for  his  religion  did  not  save  him  at  all  fiom 
affliction.  This  Elihu  regarded  as  a  severe  reflection  on  God  and  his  government,  and  to  this 
(2)  he  replies.  His  reply  consists  of  two  parts.  First  (vs.  4-13),  that  God  is  supreme.  Ha 
is  so  exalted  tliat  he  cannot  be  alVected  by  what  man  does  ;  he  reaps  no  benefit  from  the  ser- 
vice of  man,  and  cannot  be  injured  in  any  way  if  he  is  sinful.  He  cannot  be  influenced,  there- 
fore, in  his  dealings  by  any  selfish  principles,  or  any  self-interest  in  the  matter.  It  ought  to  ho 
presumed,  therefore,  that  he  is  impartial,  and  there  ought  to  he  submission  to  him.  The  second 
consideration  which  Elihu  adduces  (vs.  13-16)  is,  tliat  if  God  does  iiot  at  once  ii  terpose  and 
relieve  a  sufferer  ;  if  he  does  not  hear  his  prayer  and  take  away  his  calamities,  it  ought  to  be 
supposed  that  it  may  possibly  be  because  the  prayer  is  not  offered  in  a  proper  spirit  and  manner. 
It  ought  not  at  once  to  be  inferred  tliat  God  is  wrong  ;  or  that  he  is  inditTercnt  to  tlie  cliaracter 
of  men,  or  that  it  is  of  no  advantage  to  be  pious,  but  that  it  may  be  because  there  is  an  improper 
temper  of  mind  in  him  who  prays.  Confidence  ought  still  to  be  reposed  in  God,  and  it  ought  to 
be  supposed  that  there  may  be  some  other  reason  why  he  does  not  interpose  and  hear  the  prayer 
of  the  sufferer  than  that  he  is  indifferent  to  the  welfare  of  his  true  friends.  Elihu  concludes, 
therefore  (ver.  16),  that  Job  had  spoken  without  a  proper  understanding  of  the  subject,  and  that 
his  argument  was  rash  and  vain. 


TDLIHU  spake,  moreover,  and 
^   said, 

2  Thinkest    thou    this   to   be 

a  c.  9.  17-34,    16.  12-17,  27   2-6. 

1.  Elihu  spake.  Heb.  V-^,2^  — "  And 
he  ansicered ;''  the  word  answer 
being  used,  as  it  is  often  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, to  denote  the  commencement 
of  a  discourse.  We  may  suppose 
that  Elihu  had  paused  at  the  close  of 
his  second  discourse,  possibly  with  a 
view  to  see  whether  there  was  any 
disposition  to  reply. 

2.  Thinkest  thou  this  to  he  right  ? 
This  is  the  point  which  Elihu  now 
proposes  to  examine.  He,  therefore, 
solemnly  appeals  to  Job  iiimself  to 
determine  wlietlier  he  could  himself 
Bay  that  he  thought  such  a  sentiment 


right,  that  thou  saidst,  "  My 
righteousness  is  more  than 
God's? 


correct.  TI  That  tkou  saidst,  My  right- 
eousness is  more  than  God's.  Job  had 
nowhere  said  this  in  so  many  words, 
but  Elihu  regarded  it  as  the  substance 
of  what  he  had  said,  or  thought  that 
what  he  had  said  amounted  to  the 
same  thing.  He  had  dwelt  mucli  on 
liis  own  sincerity  and  uprightness  of 
life  ;  he  had  maintained  that  he  had 
not  been  guilty  of  such  crimes  as  to 
make  these  calamities  deserved,  and 
lie  had  indulged  in  severe  reflections 
on  the  dealings  of  God  with  him. 
Comp.  ch.  ix.  30-35,  x.  13-15.  All 
this  Elihu  interprets  as  et[uivalent  to 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


173 


3  For    thou    saidst,    What   "  i 
advantage  will   it  be  unto  thee  ? 
and,  What  profit  shall  1  have  if 
'/  be  cleansed  Ironi  my  sin  ? 

oc.31.2,&c.        1  ox,hy  limorcthan  by  m\j  sin. 
•i  return  to  thee  words. 

saying,  tliat  he  was  more  riglitet)i!s 
tlum  his  IMaker.  It  cannot  bo  denied 
tliat  Joh  had  given  occasion  for  this 
interpretation  to  be  put  on  his  senti- 
ments, thongli  it  cannot  be  supposed 
tiiat  he  would  have  affirmed  this  in  so 
many  words. 

3.  For  tlwu  saidst.  Another  senti- 
ment of  a  simihir  kind  which  Elihu 
proposes  to  examine.  He  had  al- 
ready adverted  to  this  sentiment  of 
Job  in  ch.  xxxiv.  9,  and  examined  it 
at  some  length,  and  had  shown  in 
reply  to  it  that  God  could  not  be  un- 
just, and  that  there  was  great  impro- 
priety when  man  presumed  to  arraign 
the  justice  of  the  JMost  High.  He 
now  adverts  to  it  again  in  order  to 
show  that  God  could  not  be  benefited 
or  injured  by  the  conduct  of  man,  and 
that  iio  was,  therefore,  under  no  in- 
ducement to  treat  him  otherwise  than 
impartially.  II  What  advantage  will 
it  be,  unto  thee?  See  Notes  on  ch. 
xxxiv.  I).  Tiie  phrase  "  unto  thee," 
refers  to  Job  himself.  He  had  said 
this  to  himself;  or  to  his  own  soul. 
Such  a  mode  of  expression  is  not 
uncommon  in  the  Scriptures.  U  And, 
what  profit  shall  Ihaveifl  be  cleansed 
from  my  sin  ?  Jlarg.  "  or,  by  it  more 
than  hy  my  sin."  The  Hel>few  will 
admit  of  either  of  these  interpretations, 
and  the  sense  is  not  materially  varied. 
The  idea  is,  that  as  to  good  treatment 
or  securing  the  favor  of  God  under 
tlie  arrangements  of  his  government, 
a  man  might  just  as  well  be  wicked 
as  righteous.  He  would  be  as  likely 
to  be  prosperous  in  the  world,  and  to 
experience  the  tokens  of  the  divine 
favor.  Job  had  by  no  means  ad- 
vanced such  a  sentiment ;  but  lie  had 
maintained  that  he  was  treated  as  if 
he  were  a  sinner;  that  the  dealings 
of  Providence  were  not  in  this  world 
in  accordance  with  the  character  of 


4  I  will  ^  answer  thee,  and 
thy  companions  with  thee. 

5  Look  unto  the  heavens,  and 
see  ;  and  behold  the  clouds, 
tohich  are  higher  than  thou. 


men  ;  and  this  was  interpreted  by 
Elihu  as  maintaining  that  there  was 
no  advantage  in  being  righteous,  or 
that  a  man  might  as  well  be  a  sinner. 
It  was  for  sucli  supposed  sentiments 
as  these,  that  Elihu  and  the  three 
friends  of  Job  charged  him  with  giv- 
ing '  answers  '  for  wicked  men,  or 
maintaining  opinions  which  went  to 
sustain  and  encourage  the  wicked. 
See  ch.  xxxiv.  36. 

4.  /  tcill  ansioer  thcc.  ftlarg.  re- 
turn to  thee  2cords.  Elihu  meant  to 
explain  this  more  fully  than  it  had 
been  done  by  the  friends  of  Job,  and 
to  show  where  Job  was  in  error.  H 
Jlnd  thy  companions  with  thee. EVipha?.., 
in  ch.  xxii.  2,  had  taken  up  the  same 
inquiry,  and  proposed  to  discuss  the 
subject,  but  he  had  gone  at  once  into 
severe  charges  against  Job,  and  been 
drawn  into  language  of  harsh  crimi- 
nation, instead  of  making  the  matter 
clear,  and  Elihu  now  proposes  to 
state  just  how  it  is,  and  to  remove  the 
objections  of  Job.  It  may  be  doubt- 
ed, however,  whether  he  was  much 
more  successful  than  Elipliaz  had 
been.  The  doctrine  of  the  future 
state,  as  it  is  revealed  by  Christianity 
was  needful  to  enable  these  speakers 
to  comprehend  and  explain  this  sub- 
ject. 

•5.  Look  unto  the  heavens,  and  see 
This  is  the  commencement  of  the 
reply  which  Elihu  makes  to  the  sen- 
timent which  he  had  understood  Job  to 
advance,  and  which  Eliphaz  had  pro- 
posed formerly  to  examine.  The 
general  object  of  the  reply  is,  to  show 
that  God  is  so  greafthat  he  cannot 
be  affected  with  human  conduct,  and 
that  he  has  no  interest  in  treating 
men  otherwise  than  according  to 
character.  He  is  so  exalted  that 
their  conduct  cannot  reach  and  affect 
his  happiness.     It  ought  to  be  pre- 


174 


JOB. 


6  If  thou  sinnest,  what  dost 
thou  against  him  ?  "  or  if  thy 
transgressions  be  multiplied, 
what  dost  thou  unto  him  ? 

7  If"  thou  be  righteous,  what 

o  Je.  7.  19.  6  Ps.  16.  2.  Pr.  9.  12. 

sumed,  therefore,  since  there  is  no 
motive  to  tlie  contrary,  that  the  deal- 
ings of  God  with  men  would  be  im- 
partial, and  that  there  icould  be  an 
advantage  in  serving  Jiim — not  be- 
cause men  could  lay  him  under  ohli- 
gution,  but  because  it  was  right  and 
proper  that  such  advantage  should 
accrue  to  them.  To  impress  this 
view  on  the  mind,  Elihu  directs  Job 
and  his  friends  to  look  to  the  heavens 
— so  lofty,  grand,  and  sublime  ;  to  re- 
flect how  njuch  higher  they  are  than 
man  ;  and  to  remember  that  the  great 
Creator  is  above  all  those  heavens, 
and  thus  to  see  that  he  is  so  far  ex- 
alted that  lie  is  not  dependent  on 
man ;  that  he  cannot  be  affected  b}' 
the  righteousness  or  wickedness  of 
his  creatures ;  that  his  happiness  is 
not  dependent  on  them,  and  conse- 
quentl}'  that  it  is  to  be  presumed  that 
he  would  act  impartially,  and  treat 
all  men  as  they  deserved.  Tiiere 
would  be,  therefore,  an  advantage  in 
serving  God.  IT  Andhelwldthe  clouds. 
Also  far  above  us,  and  seeming  to 
float  in  the  heavens.  The  sentiment 
here  is,  that  one  view  of  the  aston- 
ishing display  of  wisdom  and  power 
above  us  must  extinguish  every  feel- 
ing that  he  will  be  influenced  in  his 
dealings  as  men  are  in  theirs,  or  that 
he  can  gain  or  suffer  any  thing  by  the 
good  or  bad  behavior  of  his  creatures. 
6.  If  t/iou  sin7iest.,  ichat  docst  thou 
against  him  ?  This  should  not  be  in- 
terpreted as  designed  to  justify  sin,  or 
as  saying  that  there  is  no  evil  in  it,  or 
that  God  does  not  regard  it.  Tliat  is 
not  the  point  or  scope  of  the  remark 
of  Elihu.  His  object  is  to  show  that 
God  is  not  influenced  in  his  treat- 
ment of  iiis  creatures  as  men  are  in 
their  treatment  of  each  other.  He 
has  no  interest  in  being  partial,  or  in 
treating  them    otherwise    than   they 


givest  thou  him  ?  or  what  receiv^- 
eth  he  of  thine  hand  ? 

8  Thy  wickedness  may  hurt  a 
n^an  as  thou  art,  and  thy  right- 
eousness may  i)rqfit  the  son  of 
man. 

deserve.  If  they  sin  against  him  his 
happiness  is  not  so  marred  that  he  is 
under  any  inducement  to  interpose 
hy  passion,  or  in  any  other  way  than 
that  which  is  right. 

7.  If  thou  be  righteous,  rchat  givest 
thou  him?  The  same  sentiment  sub- 
stantially as  in  the  previous  verses. 
It  is,  that  God  is  supreme  and  inde 
pendent.  He  does  not  desire  sUch 
benefits  from  the  services  of  his 
friends,  and  is  not  so  dependent  on 
them,  as  to  be  induced  to  interpose  in 
tlieir  favor  in  any  way  beyond  what 
is  strictly  proper.  It  is  to  be  pre- 
sumed, therefore,  that  he  will  deal 
with  them  according  to  what  is  right, 
and  as  it  is  right  that  they  should  ex- 
perience proofs  of  his  favor,  it  follow- 
ed that  tjiere  would  be  advantage  in 
serving  him,  and  in  being  delivered 
from  sin  ;  that  it  u-ould  be  better  to 
be  holy  than  to  lead  a  life  of  trans- 
gression. This  reasoning  seems  to 
be  somewhat  abstract,  but  it  is  cor- 
rect, and  is  as  sound  now  as  it  was  in 
the  time  of  Elihu.  There  is  no 
reason  why  God  should  not  treat  men 
according  to  their  character.  He  is 
not  so  under  obligations  to  his  friends, 
and  has  not  such  cause  to  dread  his 
foes ;  he  does  not  derive  so  much 
benefit  from  the  one,  or  receive  such 
injury  from  the  other,  that  he  is  under 
any  inducement  to  swerve  from  strict 
justice  ;  and  it  follows,  therefore,  that 
where  there  ought  to  be  reward  there 
will  be,  where  there  ought  to  be  pun- 
ishment there  will  be,  and  conse- 
quentl}'  that  there  is  an  advantage  in 
being  righteous. 

8.  Thy  icickedness  may  Imrt  a  man 
as  thou  art.  That  is,  it  may  injure 
him,  but  not  God.  He  is  too  far  ex- 
alted above  man,  and  too  independ- 
ent of  man  in  his  sources  of  happi- 
ness, to  be  affected  by  what  Jie  can 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


175 


9  By  reason  of  the  multitude 
of  oppressions  they  make  the 
oppressed  to  cry  ;  they  cry  out 
by    reason    of  the    arm    of  the 


do.  The  object  of  the  whole  pas- 
sage (vs.  6-8)  is,  to  show  that  God  is 
independent  of  men,  and  is  not  gov- 
erned in  his  dealings  with  them  on  the 
principles  which  regulate  their  con- 
duct with  each  other.  One  man  may 
be  greatly  benefited  by  the  conduct 
of  imotiicr,  and  may  feel  under  obli- 
gation to  reward  him  for  it  ;  or  he  may 
be  greatly  injured  in  his  person,  prop- 
erty, or  reputation,  by  another,  and 
will  endeavor  to  avenge  himself.  But 
nothing  of  this  kind  can  happen  to 
God.  If  iie  rewards,  therefore,  it 
must  be  of  his  grace  and  mercy,  not 
because  he  is  laid  under  obligation  ; 
if  he  inflicts  chastisement,  it  must  be 
because  men  deserve  it,  and  not  be- 
cause God  has  been  injured.  In  this 
reasoning  Elihu  undoubtedly  refers 
to  Job,  whom  he  regards  as  having 
urged  a  claim  to  a  different  kind  of 
treatment,  because  he  supposed  that 
he  deserved  it.  The  general  principle 
of  Eliliu  is  clearly  correct,  tliat  God 
is  entirely  independent  of  men  ;  that 
neither  our  good  nor  evil  conduct  can 
affect  his  happiness,  and  that  conse- 
quently his  dealings  with  us  are  those 
of  impartial  justice. 

9.  By  reason  of  the  multitude  of  op- 
pressions they  make  the  oppressed  to 
cry.  It  is  not  quite  easy  to  see  the 
connection  which  this  verse  has  with 
what  goes  before,  or  its  bearing  on 
the  argument  of  Elihu.  It  seems, 
however,  to  refer  to  the  oppressed  in 
general.,  and  to  the  fact,  to  which  Job 
had  himself  adverted  (ch.  xxiv.  12), 
that  men  are  borne  down  by  oppres- 
sion, and  that  God  does  not  interpose 
to  save  them.  They  are  suffered  to 
remain  in  that  state  of  oppression — 
trodden  down  by  men,  crushed  by 
the  arm  of  a  despot,  and  overwhelmed 
with  poverty,  sorrow,  and  want,  and 
God  does  not  interpose  to  rescue 
them.  He  looks  on  and  sees  all  this 
evil,  and  does  not  come  forth  to  de- 


mighty  : 

10  But  none  saith,  Where  is 
God  my  Maker,  who  giveth 
sonss  in  the  nisht : 


liver  those  who  thus  suffer.     This  is  a 
common  case,  according  to  the  view 
of  Job  ;  this  was  his  own  case,  and 
he  could  not  explain  it,  and  in  view 
of  it  he    had    indulged  in    language 
which  Elihu  regarded  as  a  severe  re- 
flection  on    tlie    government    of  the 
Almighty.    He  undertakes,  therefore, 
to  crplain   the  reason  why  men   are 
permitted    thus    to   suffer,    and    why 
they  are  not  relieved.     In  the  verse 
before  us,  he  states  the  fact  that  mul- 
titudes do  thus  suffer  under  the  arm 
of  oppression — for  that  fact  could  not 
be  denied  ;  in   the  following  verses, 
he  states  the  reason  why  it  is  so,  and 
that  reason  is,  that  they  do  not  apply 
in   any  proper  manner  to  God,  who 
could  'give  songs  in  the  night,'   or 
joy   in   the   midst  of  calamities,  and 
who    could    make    them    acquainted 
with  the  nature  of  his  government  as 
intelligent  beings,  so  that  they  would 
be  able  to  understand   it  and  acqui- 
esce in  it.     The  phrase  '  the  multi- 
tude   of  oppressions '    refers    to    the 
numerous    and    repeated    calamities 
which   tyrants  bring  upon   the  poor, 
the    down-trodden,    and     the    slave. 
The  phrases  '  to  cry  '  and  '  they  cry 
out,'   refer   to   the   lamentations  and 
sighs  of  those  under  the  arm  of  the 
oppressor.     Elihu  did  not  dispute  the 
truth    of  the  fact  as   it   was   alleged 
by  Job.     That  fact  could  not  then  be 
doubted  any  more  than   it  can   now, 
that    there    were    many    who    were 
bowed  down  under  burdens  imposed 
by  hard-hearted  masters,  and  groan- 
ing under  the  government  of  tyrants, 
and  that  all  this  was  seen  and  permit- 
ted by  a  holy  God.     This  fact  trou- 
bled   Job — for    he    was    one    of  this 
general   class   of  sufferers  ;  and   this 
fact    Elihu   proposes  to  account  for. 
Whether  his  solution  is  satisfactory, 
however,  may  still  admit  of  a  doubt. 
10.  But  none  saith.     That  is,  nojis 
of  the  oppressed  and  down-troddea 


176 


JOB. 


11  Who  teacheth  us  more 
than  the  beasts  of  the  earth,  and 
maketh  us  wiser  than  the  fowls 
of  heaven  ? 


say.  This  is  the  solution  wliich 
Elihu  gives  of  what  appeared  so 
mysterious  to  Job,  and  of  what  Eliliu 
regarded  as  the  source  of  the  bitter 
complaints  of  Job.  The  solution  is, 
that  when  men  are  oppressed  they  do 
not  apply  to  God  witli  a  proper  spirit, 
and  look  to  him  that  they  may  find 
relief.  It  was  a  principle  with  Elihu, 
that  if  when  a  man  was  afllicted  he 
would  apply  to  God  with  a  humble 
and  penitent  heart,  he  would  hear 
him,  and  would  withdraw  his  hand. 
See  this  principle  fully  stated  in  ch. 
xxxiii.  19-26.  This,  Elihu  now  says, 
was  not  done  by  the  oppressed,  and 
this,  according  to  liim,  is  the  reason 
why  the  hand  of  God  is  still  upon 
them.  IT  Where  is  God  my  Maker. 
That  is,  the}'  do  not  appeal  to  God 
for  relief.  They  do  not  inquire  for 
him  who  alone  can  help  them.  This 
is  the  reason  why  they  are  not  re- 
lieved. II  Ulio  giveth  songs  in  the 
night.  IVight,  in  the  Scriptures,  is 
an  emblem  of  sin,  ignorance,  and 
calamity.  Here  calamity  is  particu- 
larly referred  to  ;  and  the  idea  is, 
that  God  can  give  joy,  or  impart  con- 
solation, in  the  darkest  season  of  trial. 
He  can  impart  such  views  of  himself 
and  hig  government  as  to  cause  the 
afflicted  even  to  rejoice  in  his  deal- 
ings ;  he  can  raise  the  song  of  praise 
even  when  all  external  things  are 
gloomy  and  sad.  Comp.  Acts  xvi. 
25.  There  is  great  beauty  in  this 
expression.  It  has  been  verified  in 
thousands  of  instances  where  the 
afflicted  have  looked  up  through 
tears  to  God,  and  their  mourning  has 
been  turned  into  joy.  Especially  is 
it  true  under  the  gospel,  that  in  the 
day  of  darkness  and  calamity,  God 
puts  into  the  mouth  the  language  of 
praise,  and  fills  the  heart  with  thanks- 
■  giving.  No  one  who  has  sought 
comfort  in  affliction  witli  a  right  spi- 
rit has  found  it  withheld,  and  all  the 


12  There  they  cry,  but  none 
giveth  answer,  because  of  the 
pride  of  evil  men. 


sad  and  sorrowful  may  come  to  God 
with  the  assurance  that  he  can  put 
songs  of  praise  into  their  lips  in  the 
night  of  calamity.  Comp.  Ps.  cxxvi. 
1,2. 

1].  Who  teacheth  ns  more  than  the 
beasts  of  .the  earth.  Who  is  able  to 
teach  us  more  than  the  irrational  cre- 
ation ;  that  is,  in  regard  to  the  nature 
and  design  of  affliction.  They  suffer 
without  knowing  why.  They  are 
subjected  to  toil  and  hardships  ;  en- 
dure pain,  and  die,  without  any  know- 
ledge why  all  this  occurs,  and  with- 
out any  rational  view  of  the  govern- 
ment and  plans  of  God.  It  is  not,  or 
need  not  be  so,  says  Elihu,  when 
man  suffers.  He  is  intelligent.  He 
can  understand  why  he  is  afflicted. 
He  has  only  to  make  use  of  his  supe- 
rior endowments,  and  apply  to  his 
Maker,  and  he  will  see  so  much  of 
the  reason  of  his  doings  that  he  will 
acquiesce  in  the  wise  arrangement. 
Perhaps  there  is  an  implied  reflection 
here  on  those  who  suffered  generally, 
as  if  they  manifested  no  more  intelli- 
gence than  the  brute  creation.  They 
make  no  use  of  their  intellectual  en- 
dowments. They  do  not  examine 
the  nature  of  the  divine  administra- 
tion, and  they  do  not  apply  to  God 
for  instruction  and  help.  If  they 
should  do  so,  he  would  teach  them 
so  that  they  would  acquiesce  and  re. 
joice  in  his  government  and  dealings 
According  to  this  view,  the  meaning' 
is,  that  if  men  suffer  without  relief 
and  consolation,  it  is  to  be  attributed 
to  their  stupidity  and  unwillingness 
to  look  to  God  for  light  and  aid,  and 
not  at  all  to  his  injustice. 

12.  There  they  cry.  They  cry  ouf 
in  the  language  of  complaint,  but  not 
for  mercy.  H  Because  of  the  prid e  of 
evil  men.  That  is,  of  their  own 
pride.  The  pride  of  men  so  rebel- 
lious, and  so  disposed  to  complain  ol 
God,  is  the   reason  why  they  do  not 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


177 


13  Surely  God  will  not"  hear 
vanity,  neither  will  the  Almighty 
regard  it. 


a  Is.  1.  IS 


b  Ps.  77.  5-10. 


appeal  to  him  to  sustain  them  and 
give  them  rehef.  Tliis  is  still  as  true 
as  it  was  in  the  time  of  Elihu.  The 
pride  of  the  heart,  even  in  affliction,  is 
the  true  reason  with  multitudes  why 
they  do  not  appeal  to  God,  and  why 
they  do  not  pray.  They  have  valued 
themselves  on  their  independence 
of  spirit.  They  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  rely  on  their  own  resources. 
They  have  been  unwilling  to  recog- 
nize their  dependence  on  any  being 
whatever.  Even  in  their  trials,  the 
heart  is  too  wicked  to  acknowledge 
God,  and  they  would  be  ashamed 
to  be  known  to  do  what  they  regard 
as  so  weak  a  thing  as  to  pray. 
Hence  they  murmur  in  their  afflic- 
tions ;  they  linger  on  in  their  suffer- 
ings without  consolation,  and  then  die 
without  hope.  However  inapplica- 
ble, therefore,  this  solution  of  the 
dilflculty  may  have  been  to  the  case 
of  Job,  it  is  not  inapplicable  to  the 
case  of  multitudes  of  sufferers.  Many 
of  the  affliclrd  have  no  peace  or  conso- 
lu/ion  in  their  trials — no  '  songs  in 
the  night' — because  they  are  too 

PROUD    TO    PRAY  ! 

13.  Surely  God  icill  not  hear  vanity. 
A  vain,  hollow,  heartless  petition. 
The  object  of  Elihu  here  is  to  account 
for  the  reason  why  sufferers  are  not 
relieved — having  his  eye,  doubtless, 
on  the  case  of  Job  as  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  of  the  kind.  The  solu- 
tion which  he  here  gives  of  the  diffi- 
culty is,  that  it  is  not  consistent  for 
God  to  hear  a  prayer  where  there  is 
no  sincerity.  Of  the  truth  of  the  re- 
mark there  can  be  no  doubt,  but  he 
seems  to  have  taken  it  for  granted 
that  all  prayers  offered  by  unrelieved 
sufferers  are  thus  insincere  and  liol- 
low.  This  was  needful  in  his  view 
to  account  for  the  fact  under  consid- 
eration, and  this  he  assumes  as  being 
unquestionable.  Yet  the  very  point 
indispensable   to  make   out  his  case 


14  Although  thou  sayest  thou 
.shall  not  see  \\\m,y('t  'judgment 
/".s  before  him ;  therefore  trust 
thou  in  him. 

was,  that  in  fact  the  prayers  offered 
by  such  persons  icere  insincere. 

14.  Jil though  thou  sayest  thou  shalt 
not  see  him.  This  is  addressed  to 
Job,  and  is  designed  to  entreat  him 
to  trust  in  God.  Elihu  seems  to  refer- 
to  some  remark  that  Job  had  made, 
like  that  in  ch.  xxiii.  8,  seq.,  where 
he  said  that  he  could  not  come  near 
him,  nor  bring  his  cause  before  him 
If  he  went  to  the  east,  the  west,  the 
north,  or  the  south,  he  could  not  see 
him,  and  could  get  no  opportunity  ot 
bringing  his  cause  before  him.  See 
Notes  on  that  place.  Elihu  here  says 
that  though  it  is  true  in  fact  that  God 
is  invisible,  yet  this  ought  not  to  be 
regarded  as  a  reason  why  he  should 
not  confide  in  him.  Tlie  argument 
of  Elihu  here — which  is  undoubtedly 
sound — is,  that  the  fact  that  God  is 
invisible  should  not  be  regarded  as 
any  evidence  that  he  does  not  attend 
to  the  affairs  of  men,  or  that  he  is  not 
w'orthy  of  our  love.  IT  Judgment  is 
before  him.  He  is  a  God  of  justice, 
and  will  do  that  which  is  right.  H 
Therefore  trust  him.  Though  lie  is 
invisible,  and  though  you  cannot 
bring  your  cause  directly  before  him. 
The  word  which  is  here  used  ('i^'in^, 
from   PTI)  means  to  turn  around  ;  to 

twist ;  to  be  firm — as  a  rope  is  that 
is  twisted  ;  and  then  to  wait  or  delay 
— that  is,  to  be  firm  in  patience. 
Here  it  may  have  this  meaning,  that 
Job  was  to  be  firm  and  unmoved,  pa- 
tiently waiting  for  the  time  when  the 
now  invisible  God  would  interpose  in 
his  behalf,  though  he  could  not  now 
see  him.  The  idea  is,-  that  we  may 
trust  the  hivisihle  God,  or  that  we 
should  patiently  teait  for  him  to  man- 
ifest himself  in  our  behalf,  and  may 
leave  all  our  interests  in  his  hands, 
with  the  feeling  that  they  are  entirely 
safe.  It  must  be  admitted  that  Job 
had  not  learned  this  lesson  as  fully 


178 


JOB. 


15  But  now,  because  it  is  not 
50,  '  he  hath  visited  in  his  anger  ; 


1  i.  e.  God 


2  i.  e.  Job. 


as  it  might  liave  been  learned,  and 
that  he  had  evinced  an  undue  anxiety 
for  some  public  rnanifc station  of  the 
favor  and  friendship  of  God,  and  that 
he  had  not  shown  quite  the  willing- 
ness which  he  should  have  done  to 
commit  his  interests  into  his  hands, 
though  he  was  unseen. 

]5.  But  now,  hcrausc  it  is  7iot  so. 
This  verse,  as  it  stands  in  our  autho- 
rized translation,  conveys  no  intelli- 
gible idea.  It  is  evident  that  the 
translators  meant  to  give  a  literal 
version  of  the  Hebrew,  but  without 
understanding  its  sense.  An  exami- 
nation of  the  principal  words  and 
phrases  may  enable  us  to  ascertain 
the  idea  which  was  in  the  mind  of 
Elihu  when  it  was  uttered.  The 
phrase  in  the  Hebrew  here  (^^^J"'] 
'■|'^X~''S)    may   mean    '  but   now   it   is 

as  nothing,'  and  is  to  be  connected 
with  the  following  clause,  denoting, 
*  now  it  is  comparatively  nothing  that 
lie  has  visited  you  in  his  anger  ;'  that 
Is,  the  punishment  which  he  has  in- 
flicted on  you  is  almost  as  nothing 
compared  with  what  it  might  have 
been,  or  w^hat  you  have  deserved. 
Job  liad  complained  much,  and  Elihu 
says  to  him,  that  so  far  from  having 
cause  of  complaint,  his  sufferings 
were  as  nothing — scarcely  worth  no- 
ticing, compared  with  wluit  they 
might  have  been.  TT  He  hath  visited 
in  his  anger.  Marg.  i.  e.  God.  The 
word  rendered  '  hath  visited  '  (^^t^Q) 
means  to  visit  for  any  purpose — for 
mercy  or  justice  ;  to  review,  take  an 
account  of,  or  investigate  conduct. 
Here  it  is  used  with  reference  to 
punishment — meaning  that  the  pun- 
ishment which  he  had  inflicted  was 
trifling  compared  with  the  desert  of 
the  oftences.  'i{  i  e.t  he  knoiccth  it  not. 
Marg.  i.  e.  Job.  The  marginal  read- 
ing here  is  undoubtedly  erroneous. 
The  reference  is  not  to  Job,  but  to 


yet  he  "^  knoweth  it  "  not  in  grea' 
extremity  : 

a  IIos.  11.  8,  9. 

God  ;  and  the  idea  is,  that  he  did  not 
know,  that  is,  did  not  take  full  ac- 
count of  the  sins  of  Job.  He  passed 
them  over,  and  did  not  bring  them 
all  into  the  account  in  his  dealings 
with  him.  Had  he  done  this,  and 
marked  every  oflience  with  the  utmost 
strictness  and  severity,  his  punish- 
ment would  have  been  mucli  more 
severe.  '&  In  great  extremiiij.  The 
Hebrew  here  is  ''i^'3  ^33.  The 
wordr  !1J9,  pash,  occurs  nowhere  else 
in  the  Hebrew.  The  Septuagmt 
renders  it  naQdi7ZT0)^ici,  offence,  and 
the  Vulgate  scelus,  i.  e.  transgression. 
Tlie  authors  of  those  versions  evi- 
dently read  it  as  if  it  were  ^^:Q,  ini- 
quity ;  and  it  may  be  that  the  final  'S 
has  been  dropped,  like  l^iJ  for  i^)'^,,  in 
Job  XV.  31.  Gesenius.  Theodotion 
and  Symmachus  in  like  manner  ren- 
der it  transgression.  Others  have 
regarded  it  as  if  from  TIJ^S,  to  heprovd, 
and  as  meaning  in  pride,  or  arro- 
gance;  and  others,  as  the  Rabbins 
generally,  as  if  from  liJ^lB,  to  disperse, 
meaning  on  account  of  the  multitude, 
scil.  of  transgressions.  So  Rosen- 
miiller,  Umbreit,  Luther,  and  the 
Chaldee.  It  seems  probable  to  me 
that  the  interpretation  of  the  Septua 
gint  and  the  Vulgate  is  the  correct 
one,  and  that  the  sense  is,  that  he 
' does  not  take  cognizance  severely 
('IX'2)  of  transgressions  ;'  that  is,  that 
he  had  not  done  it  in  the  case  of  Job 
This  interpretation  agrees  with  the 
scope  of  the  passage,  and  with  tJie 
view  which  Elihu  meant  to  express — 
that  God,  so  far  from  having  given 
an}'  just  cause  of  complaint,  had  not 
even  dealt,  with  him  as  his  sins  de- 
served. AVitliout  any  impeachment 
of  ins  wisdom  or  goodness,  his  in- 
flictions might  have  been  far  more 
severe. 


16  Therefore  doth  Job  open 
his  mouth  in  vain  :  he  multipli- 

16.  Therefore.  In  view  of  all  tliat 
Eliliii  liafl  iinw  said,  he  came  to  the 
conclusion  tliat  the  views  of  Job 
were  erroneous,  and  that  he  had  no 
t'ust  cause  of  complaint.  He  had 
suffered  no  more  than  lie  had  deserv- 
ed ;  he  might  have  obtained  a  release 
or   mitigation   if  he   had  applied    to 


CHAPTER  XXXVI.  179 

eth  words  without  knowledge. 


God  ;  and  the  government  of  God 
wa.s  just,  and  was  every  way  worthy 
of  conlidence.  The  remarks  of  Job, 
therefore,  complaining  of  the  severity 
of  his  sufferings  and  of  the  govern- 
ment of  God,  were  not  based  on 
knowledge,  and  had  in  fact  no  solid 
foundation 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


ANALYSIS    OF    THE    CHAPTER. 


Thu  chapter  is  the  commencement  of  the  fourth  speech  of  Elihu,  whicli  continuca  to  the 
close  of  ch.  xxxvii.,  when  the  subject  is  taken  up  by  God  himself.  The  object  of  this  wliole 
speech  is  to  vindicate  the  justice  of  God  in  his  dealings  ;  and  this  is  done  mainly  by  showing 
that  he  has  shown  so  much  wisdom  in  the  creation  and  government  of  tlio  world,  that  men  ought 
to  have  confidence  in  him.  and  to  submit  to  him.  This  argument  is  pressed  particularly  in  ch. 
xxxvi.  -SC-SS.  and  in  the  whole  of  ch.  xxxvii.,  where  Elihu  goes  into  an  examination  of  the 
things  in  the  works  of  God  which  show  his  inscrutable  wisdom. 

In  this  chapter,  the  argument  consists  of  the  following  parts : 

I.  The  introduction — where  Elihu  proposes  to  speak  on  behalf  of  God,  and  says  that  he  will 
not  deal  in  commonplace  remark,  but  will  bring  his  illustrations  from  subjects  beyond  the  ordi- 
nary range  of  thinking.  The  idea  is,  that  he  has  some  views  of  the  divine  government  which 
show  that  God  is  great,  and  just,  and  wise,  and  has  a  claim  to  confidence,  vs.  1-4. 

II.  He  affirms  that  God  is  just  in  his  dealings  ;  that  he  is  the  watchful  guardian  over  the  con- 
duct of  men  ;  that  whether  men  be  on  the  throne  or  bound  in  fetters  and  chains,  he  equally  ob 
serves  them,  and  deals  justly  with  them  ;  and  that  if  they  bad  been  guilty  of  crime  he  takes 
measures  to  reclaim  them,  and  to  bring  them  to  forsake  their  iniquity,  vs.  5-14. 

III.  He  affirms  that  God  deals  gently  with  the  poor,  the  humble,  and  the  contrite  ;  and  that  if 
Job  had  manifested  that  spirit,  he  would  have  been  merciful  to  him,  and  would  have  brought 
him  out  of  his  calamities.  Having  stated  this  general  principle,  he  concludes  that  the  true  rea- 
son why  Job  continued  thus  to  be  afflicted  was,  that  lie  was  obstinate,  and  refused  to  repent  of 
his  sins  under  the  c.  'tisement  of  the  divine  hand,  vs.  15-17.  In  this  the  view  which  Elihu 
takes  of  the  nature  and  desisn  of  affliction  differs  from  that  taken  by  the  frienda  of  Job.  They 
held  that  it  was  full  proof  of  guilt  and  hypocrisy,  he  maintained  that  it  was  disciiilinary  in  its 
nature  ;  they  aftirnied  that  it  demonstrated  only  that  the  sufferer  was  a  sinner,  he  that  if  the  suf- 
ferer was  penitent  he  might  again  obtain  the  divine  favor  ;  tAft/ maintained  that  the  true  cause 
of  the  severe  and  protracted  nature  of  the  sufferings  of  Job  was  that  he  had  been  in  his  former 
life  a  man  of  eminent  guilt.  Elihu  maintained  that  the  reason  why  he  suffered  so  much  and  so 
long  was  because  the  discipline  had  failed  of  its  object,  and  he  did  not  return  with  a  humble 
and  penitent  heart  to  God. 

IV.  Elihu,  therefore,  exhorts  Job  with  great  earnestness  to  beware  lest  his  obstinacy  end  in 
hie  .uin.  God  would  not  change,  and  if  he  persevered  in  his  unyielding  state  of  mind,  the  result 
must  be  destruction.  That  destruction  was  so  great,  that  if  it  came  upon  him  a  great  ransom 
could  not  rescue  him ;  great  riches  could  not  save  from  it,  nor  the  forces  of  strength  recover 
him,v8   18-21.  -^ 

V.  He  then  reminds  Job  that  God  is  wise.  None  could  teach  like  liim  ;  none  had  prescribed 
his  way  for  him  ;  and  it  became  man  to  magnify  his  Maker,  and  to  acknowledge  him,  vs.  22-25. 


180 


JOB. 


VI.  The  chapter  is  closed  by  the  commencement  of  an  argument  respecting  the  inscrutable 
dealings  of  God,  vs.  26-33.  This  argument  is  continued  through  the  next  chapter,  and  consista 
of  appeals  to  his  works,  as  being  beyond  our  comprehension.  Elihu  refers,  in  this  chapter,  to 
the  rain,  the  dew,  the  c  Inuds,  the  liglit,  tlic  thunder,  and  tl:e  vapor,  to  show  that  we  cannot 
understand  liis  works.  The  design  of  the  whole  of  this  argument  is  to  show  that  God  is  far 
above  us  ;  and  tliat  we  should,  therefore,  bow  with  submission  to  his  will.  See  ch  x.xxvii 
23,  2-1. 


EL.IIIU    also   proceeoed,    and 
said, 
2  Suffer   me   a    little,    and    I 
will  shew  thee  that   '  /  have  yet 
to  speak  on  God's  behalf. 

1.  Elihu  also  proceeded.  Heb.  arf- 
dfd—tb;^^.  \u\^.  addens ;  LXX, 
riooa&dc;  —  adding.,  or  proceeding. 
The  Hebrew  commentators  remark 
that  this  word  is  used  because  this 
speecli  is  added  to  the  number  which 
.t  might  be  supposed  lie  would 
make.  There  had  been  tln-cc  series 
of  speeches  by  Job  and  his  friends, 
and  in  each  one  of  them  Job  had 
spoken  three  times.  Each  one  of  the 
three  friends  had  also  spoken  thrice, 
except  Zophar,  wlio  failed  to  reply 
when  it -came  to  his  turn.  Elihu  had 
also  now  made  three  speeches,  and 
here  he  would  naturally  have  closed, 
but  it  is  remarked  that  he  added  this 
to  the  usual  number. 

2.  Suffer  me  a  little.  Even  beyond 
the  regular  order  of  speaking  ;  or, 
allow  me  to  go  on  though  I  have  fully 
occupied  my  place  in  the  numhcr  of 
speeches.  Jarchi  remarks  that  this 
verse  is  Chaldaic,  and  it  is  worthy  of 
observation  that  the  principal  words 
in  it  are  not  those  ordinarily  used  in 
Hebrew  to  express  the  same  thought, 
but  are  such  as  oc   ur  in  the  Chaldee. 

The  word  rendered  suffer  C^Sil?)  has 
here  a  signification  which  occurs  only 
in  Svriac  and  Chaldee.  It  properly 
means  in  Hebrew,  to  surround.,  in  a 
hostile  sense.  Judges  xx.  43.  Ps.  xxii. 
13;  tlien  in  Hiph.  to  crown  one's 
self.  In  Syriac  and  Chaldee,  it  means 
to  icait — perhaps  from  the  idea  of 
going  round  and  round — and  this  is 
the  meaning  here.  He  wished  them 
not  to  remit  their  attention,  but  to 
have   patience  with  what  he  would 


3  I  will  fetch  my  knowledge 
from  afar,  and  will  ascribe  right- 
eousness to  my  Maker. 

1  there  are  yet  words  for  God. 

yet  say.  IT  Jind  I  icill  shoio  thee  that. 
Marg.  "  there  are  ijet  words  for  God." 
The  Hebrew  is,  "  And  I  will  show 
you  that  there  are  yet  words  for 
God  ;"  that  is,  that  there  were  yet 
many  considerations  which  could  bo 
urged  in  vindication  of  liis  govern- 
ment. The  idea  of  Elihu  is  not  so 
much  that  he  had  much  to  say,  as  that 
in  fact  there  was  much  that  could  be 
said  for  him.  He  regarded  his  char- 
acter and  government  as  having  been 
attacked,  and  he  believed  that  there 
were  ample  considerations  which 
could  be  urged  in  its  defence.  The 
word  which  is  here  rendered  "  I  will 
show  thee"  (~.'!ljJ<),  is  also  Chaldee 
in  its  signification.  It  is  from  "^^H 
(Chald.)  not  used  in  Kal,  but  it  oc- 
curs in  other  forms  in  the  Chaldee 
portion  of  the  Scriptures.  See  Dan. 
ii.  11,  16,  24,  27.  The  use  of  these 
Chaldee  words  is  somewhat  remark- 
able, and  perhaps  may  throw  some 
light  on  the  question  about  the  time 
and  place  of  the  composition  of  the 
book. 

3.  I  will  fetch  my  hiwirledge  from 
afar.  ^Vhat  I  say  shall  not  be  mere 
commonplace.  It  shall  be  the  result 
of  reflection  on  subjects  that  lie  out 
of  the  ordinary  range  of  thought. 
The  idea  is,  that  he  did  not  mean  to 
go  over  the  ground  that  had  been 
already  trodden,  or  to  suggest  such 
reflections  as  would  occur  to  any  one, 
but  that  he  meant  to  bring  his  illus- 
trations from  abstruser  matters,  and 
from  things  that  had  escaped  their 
attention.     He  in  fact  appeals  to  the 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


181 


4  For  truly  my  words  shall 
not  he  false  ;  he  that  is  perfect 
in  knowledge  /.s  with  thee. 

a  Jer.  32.  19.  1  heart. 

various  operations  of  nature — the 
rain,  the  dew,  the  liniht,  the  instincts 
of  the  animal  creatit)n,  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  the  seasons,  the  laws  of  iieat 
and  coUl,  and  shows  that  all  these 
prove  that  God  is  inscrutably  wise 
and  gloriously  great.  If  And  will 
ascribe  ritrhtcousnrss  to  vnj  Maker. 
'I'hat  is,  I  will  show  that  these  things 
to  which  I  now  appeal, /)rt)rc  that  he 
is  righteous,  and  is  worth}'  of  uni- 
versal confidence.  Perhaps,  also,  he 
means  to  contrast  the  result  of  his 
reflections  with  those  of  Job.  He 
regarded  him  as  having  charged  his 
Maker  with  injustice  and  wrong. 
Elihu  says  that  it  was  a  fi.xed  princi- 
ple with  him  to  ascribe  righteousness 
to  God,  and  that  he  believed  it  could 
be  fully  sustained  by  an  appeal  to  his 
works.  Rlan  should  presume  that  his 
INIaker  is  good,  and  wise,  and  just ; 
he  should  be  7cilliiii{  to  find  that  he  is 
so  ;  lie  should  expect  that  the  result 
of  t^e  profoundest  investigation  of 
his  ways  and  works  will  prove  that 
lie  is  so — and  in  such  an  investiga- 
tion he  will  never  be  disappointed. 
A  man  is  in  no  good  frame  of  mind, 
and  is  not  likely  to  be  led  to  any 
good  result  in  his  investigations, 
when  he  begins  his  inquiries  by  be- 
lieving that  his  INIaker  is  unjust,  and 
who  prosecutes  them  with  the  hope 
and  expectation  that  he  will  find  him 
to  be  so.  Yet  do  men  never  do  this.' 
4.  For  truly  my  words  shall  not  be 
fiilse.  This  is  designed  to  conciliate 
attention.  It  is  a  professed  purpose 
to  state  nothing  but  truth.  Even  in 
order  to  vindicate  the  ways  of  God, 
he  would  state  nothing  but  what 
would  bear  the  most  rigid  examina- 
tion. Job  had  charged  on  his  friends 
a  purpose  '  to  speak  wickedly  for 
God  ;'  to  make  use  of  unsound  argu- 
ments in  vindicating  his  cause,  (see 
Notes  on  ch.  xiii.  7,  8),  and  Elihu 
liow  says  that  he  will  make  use  of  no 


5  Behold,  God  is  mighty,  and 
despiseth  not  any  :  he  "  is  mighty 
in  strensth  and  '  wisdom. 


such  reasoning,  but  that  all  that  ho 
says  shall  he  I'ounded  in  strict  truth. 
IT  lie  that  is  perfect  in  knowledge  is 
icith  thee.  This  refers  undoubtedly 
to  Elihu  himself,  and  is  a  claim  to  a 
clear  understanding  of  the  subject. 
He  did  not  doubt  that  lie  was  right, 
and  that  he  had  some  views  which 
were  wortliy  of  their  attention.  The 
main  idea  is,  that  he  was  of  sound 
knowledge  ;  that  his  views  were  not 
sophistical  and  captious ;  that  they  • 
were  founded  in  truth,  and  were 
worthy,  therefore,  of  their  profound 
attention. 

5.  Behold,  God  is  mighty.  This  is 
the  first  consideration  which  Elihu 
urges,  and  the  purpose  seems  to  be 
to  affirm  that  God  is  so  great  that  he 
has  no  occasion  to  modify  his  treat- 
ment of  any  class  of  men  from  a  re- 
ference to  himself.  He  is  wholly  in- 
dependent of  all,  and  can  therefore 
be  impartial  in  his  dealings.  If  it 
were  otherwise ;  if  he  were  depend- 
ent on  men  for  any  share  of  his  hap- 
piness, he  might  be  tempted  to  show 
special  favor  to  the  great  and  to  the 
rich  ;  to  spare  tlie  mighty  who  are 
wicked,  though  he  cut  off  the  poor. 
But  he  has  no  such  inducement,  as 
he  is  wholly  independent ;  and  it  is  to 
be  presumed,  therefore,  that  he  treats 
all  impartially.  See  Notes  on  ch. 
xxxv.  5-8.  IT  .ind  despiseth  not  any. 
None  who  are  poor  and  humble.  He 
does  not  pass  them  by  with  cold  neg- 
lect because  they  are  poor  and  power- 
less, and  turn  his  attention  to  the 
great  and  mighty  because  he  is  de- 
pendent on  them.  IT  He  is  mighty  in 
loisdom.  Marg.  heart.  The  word 
heart  in  Hebrew  is  often  used  to  de- 
note the  intellectual  powers  ;  and  the 
idea  here  is,  that  God  has  perfect 
wisdom  in  the  management  of  his 
affairs.  He  is  acquainted  with  all 
the  circumstances  of  his  creaturea, 
and  passes  by  none  from  a  defect  of 


182 


JOB. 


6  He  preserveth  not  the  life 
of  the  wicked  :  but  giveth  right 
to  the  '  poor. 

7  He  "  withdraweth    not    his 
from    the    righteous  :    but 


eyes 


1  or,  afflicted. 


knowledge,  or  from  a  want  of  wis- 
dom to  know  how  to  adopt  his  deal- 
ings to  their  condition. 

6.  He  preserveth  not  the  life  of  the 
loicked.  Elihu  here  maintains  sub- 
stantially the  same  sentiment  which 
the  three  friends  of  Job  had  done, 
that  the  dealings  of  God  in  this  life 
are  in  accordance  with  character,  and 
that  strict  justice  is  thus  maintained. 
ir  But  giveth  right  to  the  poor.  Marg. 
"  or  afflicted."  The  Hebrew  word 
often  refers  to  the  afflicted,  to  tiie 
humble,  or  the  lowly  ;  and  the  refer- 
ence here  is  to  the  loicer  classes  of 
society.  The  idea  is,  that  God  deals 
justly  with  them,  and  does  not  over- 
look them  because  they  are  so  poor 
and  feeble  that  they  cannot  contribute 
any  thing  to  him.  In  this  sentiment 
Elihu  was  undoubtedly  right,  though, 
like  the  three  friends  of  Job,  he  seems 
to  have  adopted  the  principle  that  the 
dealings  of  God  here  are  according  to 
the  characters  o?  m&n.  He  had  some 
views  in  advance  of  theirs.  He  saw 
that  affliction  is  designed  for  disci- 
pline (ch.  xxxiii.)  ;  that  God  is  willing 
to  show  mercy  to  the  sufferer  on  re- 
pentance ;  that  he  is  not  dependent 
on  men,  and  that  his  dealings  can- 
not be  graduated  by  any  reference 
to  what  he  would  receive  or  suffer 
from  men  ;  but  still  he  clung  to 
the  idea  that  the  dealings  of  God 
here  are  a  proof  of  the  character  of 
the  afflicted.  What  was  mysterious 
about  it  he  resolved  into  sovereignty, 
and  showed  that  man  ought  to  be 
submissive  to  God,  and  to  believe  that 
he  was  qualified  to  govern.  He 
lacked  the  views  which  Christianity 
has  furnished,  that  the  inequalities 
that  appear  in  the  divine  dealings 
here  will  be  made  clear  in  the  retri- 
butions of  another  world. 

7.  He  toithdraiceth  not  his  eyes  from 


with  kings  are  they  on  the 
throne ;  yea,  he  doth  establish 
them  for  ever,  and  they  are 
exalted. 

8  And  if  they   he  bound   in 

a  He.  13.  5.  b  Ps.  107.  10. 

the  righteous.  That  is,  he  constantly 
observes  them,  whether  they  are  in 
the  more  elevated  or  humble  ranks  of 
life.  Even  though  he  afflicts  them, 
his  eye  is  upon  them,  and  he  does 
not  forsake  them.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  one  of  the  difficulties  to 
be  accounted  for  was,  that  they  who 
professed  to  be  righteous  are  subject- 
ed to  severe  trials.  The  friends  ot 
Job  had  maintained  that  such  a  fact 
was  in  itself  proof  that  they  who  pro- 
fessed to  be  pious  were  not  so,  but 
were  hypocrites.  Job  had  verged  to 
the  other  extreme,  and  had  said  that 
it  looked  as  if  God  had  forsaken 
those  that  loved  him,  and  that  there 
was  no  advantage  in  lieing  righteous. 
Notes  ch.  XXXV.  2.  Elihu  takes  a 
middle  ground,  and  says  that  neither 
was  the  correct  opinion.  It  is  true, 
he  says,  that  the  righteous  are  afflict- 
ed, but  the}'  are  not  forsaken.  The 
eye  of  God  is  still  upon  them,  and 
he  watches  over  them,  whether  on 
the  throne  or  in  dungeons,  in  order 
to  hring  good  results  out  of  their  trials. 
U  But  loith  kings  are  thev  on  the 
throne.  That  is,  if  the  righteous  are 
in  the  state  of  the  highest  earthly 
honor  and  prosperity,  God  is  with 
them,  and  is  their  protector  and 
friend.  The  same  thing  Elihu,  in 
the  following  verses,  says  is  true  re- 
specting the  righteous,  wlien  they  are 
in  the  most  down-trodden  and  de- 
pressed condition.  U  Yea,  he  doth 
establish  them  for  ever.  The  mean- 
ing of  this  is,  that  they  are  regarded 
by  God  with  favor.  When  righteous 
kings  are  thus  prospered,  and  have  a 
permanent  and  peaceful  reign,  it  is 
God  who  gives  this  prosperity  to 
them.  They  are  under  his  watchful 
eye,  and  his  protecting  hand. 

8.  .^nd  if  they  be  bound  in  fetters. 
That  is,  if  the  righteous  are  thrown 


CHAPTEPv  XXXVI. 


183 


fetters,  and  be  holden  in  cords 
of  alHietion  ; 

9  Then  he  sheweth  them 
ihcir  work,  and  tlieir  transgres- 
sions that  they  have  exceeded. 

JO  He  openeth  also  their  ear 
to  discipline,    and  commandetli 

1  pass  a  win/. 

into  prison,  and  are  subjected  to  op- 
pressions and  trials,  or  if  they  are 
chained  down,  as  it  were,  on  a  bed  of 
pain,  or  crushed  by  hoa\y  cahunities, 
tlie  eve  of  God  is  still  upon  them. 
Their  sufferings  should  not  be  regard- 
ed either  as  proof  that  they  are  hypo- 
crites, or  that  God  is  regardless  of 
them,  and  is  indifferent  whether  men 
are  good  or  evil.  The  true  solution 
of  the  diliicultv  was,  that  God  was 
then  accomplishing  purposes  of  dis- 
cipline, and  that  happy  results  would 
follow  if  they  would  receive  affliction 
in  a  proper  manner. 

9.  Then  he  shoiccth  thevi  their  iDork. 
What  their  lives  have  been.  This 
he  does  either  by  a  messenger  sent 
to  them  (eh.  xxxiii.  23),  or  by  their 
own  reflections  (ch.  xxxiii.  27),  or  by 
the  influences  of  his  Spirit  leading 
them  to  a  proper  review  of  their 
lives.  The  object  of  their  affliction, 
Elihu  says,  is  to  bring  them  to  see 
what  their  conduct  has  been,  and  to 
reform  what  has  been  amiss.  It 
should  not  be  interpreted  either  as 
proof  that  the  afflicted  are  eminently 
wicked,  as  the  friends  of  Job  main- 
tained, or  as  furnishing  an  occasion 
f)r  severe  reflections  on  the  divine 
government,  such  as  Job  had  in- 
dulged in.  It  is  all  consistent  with 
an  equitable  and  kind  administration  ; 
with  the  heliefthat  the  afflicted  have 
true  piety — though  they  have  wan- 
dered and  erred  ;  and  with  the  con- 
viction tliat  God  is  dealing  with  them 
in  mercy,  and  not  in  the  severity  of 
wrath.  They  need  only  recall  the 
errors  of  their  lives  ;  humble  them- 
selves, and  exercise  true  repentance, 
and  thev  would  find  afflictions  to  be 
among  even^  their  richest  blessings. 
If   Transgressions  that  they  have  ex- 


that  they  return  from  iniquity. 

11  If  they  obey  and  serve 
him,  they  shall  spend  their  days 
in  prosperity,  and  their  years  in 
pleasures  : 

12  But  if  they  obey  not,  they 
shall  perish  '  by  the  sword,  and 


cecded.  Or,  rather,  '  he  shows  them 
their  transgressions  that  they  have 
been  eery  great ;'  that  they  have  made 
themselves    great,   mighty,    strong — 

^???r''?  •  The  idea  is,  that  their 
transgressions  had  been  allowed  to 
accumulate,  or  to  become  strong,  un- 
til it  was  necessary  to  interpose  in 
this  manner,  and  check  them  by 
severe  affliction.  All  this  was  con- 
sistent, however,  with  the  belief  that 
the  sufferer  was  truly  pious,  and 
might  find  favor  if  he  would  repent. 

10.  He  openeth  also  their  ear  to  dis- 
ripline.  To  teaching  ;  or  he  makes 
them  willing  to  learn  the  lessons 
which  their  afflictions  are  designed  to 
teach.  Comp.  Notes  on  ch.  xxxiii. 
16. 

11.  If  they  obey  and  serve  him. 
That  is,  if,  as  the  result  of  their 
afflictions,  they  repent  of  their  sins, 
seek  his  mercy,  and  serve  him  in  time 
to  come,  they  shall  be  prospered 
still.  The  design  of  affliction,  Elihu 
says,  is,  not  to  cut  them  off',  but  to 
bring  them  to  repentance.  This  sen- 
timent he  had  advanced  and  illustra- 
ted before  at  greater  length.  See 
Notes  on  ch.  xxxiii.  23-28.  The  ob- 
ject of  all  this  is,  doubtless,  to  assure 
Job  that  he  should  not  regard  his 
calamities  either  as  proof  that  he  had 
never  understood  religion — as  his 
friends  maintained;  or  that  God  was 
severe,  and  did  not  regard  those  that 
loved  and  obeyed  him — as  Job  had 
seemed  to  suppose;,  but  that  there 
was  something  in  his  life  and  con- 
duct which  made  discipline  neces- 
sary, and  that  if  he  would  repent  of 
that,  he  would  find  returning  pros- 
perity, and  end  his  days  in  happiness 
and  peace. 

12.  But  if  they  obey  not.     If  those 


184 


JOB. 


they   shall 
ledge. 


die    without    know- 


wlio  are  afflicted  do  not  turn  to  God, 
and  yield  him  obedience,  they  must 
expect  that  he  will  continue  their 
calamities  until  tliey  are  cut  oft'.  IT 
Tkeij  shall  perish  by  the  sicord.  Marg. 
as  in  Heb.  pass  away.  The  word 
rendered  sword  (^bllJ)  means  prop- 
erly any  thing  sent — as  a  spear  or  an 
arrow — a  missile — and  then  an  instru- 
ment of  war  in  general.  It  may  be 
applied  to  any  weapon  that  is  used  to 
produce  death.  The  idea  here  is, 
that  the  man  who  was  afflicted  on  ac- 
count of  the  sins  which  he  had  com- 
mitted, and  who  did  not  repent  of 
them  and  turn  to  God,  would  be  cut 
otr.  God  would  not  withdraw  his 
hand  unless  he  ;icknowledged  his 
offences.  As  he  had  undertaken  the 
work  of  discipline,  lie  could  not  con- 
sistently do  it,  for  it  would  be  in  fact 
yielding  the  point  to  hiin  whom  he 
chastised.  This  may  be  the  case 
now,  and  the  statement  here  made  by 
Elihu  may  involve  a  principle  whicli 
will  explain  the  cause  of  the  death  of 
many  persons,  even  of  the  professedly 
pious.  They  are  devoted  to  gain  or 
amusement ;  they  seek  the  honors  of 
the  world  for  their  families  or  them- 
selves, and  in  fact  they  make  no  ad- 
vimcesin  piety,  and  are  doing  nothing 
fur  the  cause  of  religion.  God  lays 
his  hand  upon  them  at  first  gently. 
They  lose  their  health,  or  a  part  of 
their  property.  But  the  discipline  is 
not  effectual.  He  then  lays  his  hand 
on  them  with  more  severity,  and 
takes  from  them  an  endeared  child. 
Still,  all  is  ineffectual.  The  sorrow 
of  the  affliction  passes  away,  and  they 
mingle  again  in  the  gay  and  busy 
scenes  of  life  as  worldly  as  ever,  and 
exert  no  influence  in  favor  of  religion. 
Another  blow  is  needful,  and  blow 
after  blow  is  struck  ;  but  nothing 
overcomes  their  worldliness,  nothing 
makes  them  devotedly  and  sincerely 
useful,  and  it  becomes  necessary  to 
rerrove   iheni   from    the    world.      TT 


13  But  the  hypocrites  in  heart 
heap  °  up  wrath  ;  they  cry  not 
when  he  bindeth  them  : 

They  shall  die  without  knowledge. 
That  is,  without  any  true  knowledge 
of  the  plans  and  government  of  God, 
or  of  the  reasons  why  he  brought 
these  afflictions  upon  them.  In  all 
their  sufferings  they  never  saip  the 
design.  They  complained,  and  mur- 
mured, and  charged  God  with  sever- 
ity, but  they  never  understood  that 
the  affliction  was  intended  for  their 
own  benefit. 

13.  But  the  hypocrites  in  heart  heap 
up  loraUi.  By  their  continued  im- 
piety they  lay  the  foundation  for  in- 
creasing and  multiplied  expressions 
of  the  divine  displeasure.  Instead  of 
confessing  their  sins  when  they  are 
afflicted,  and  seeking  for  pardon  ;  in- 
stead of  returning  to  God  and  becom- 
ing truly  his  friends,  they  remain  im- 
penitent, unconverted,  and  are  rebel- 
lious at  heart.  They  complain  of 
the  divine  government  and  plans, 
and  their  feelings  and  conduct  make 
it  necessary  for  CJod  farther  to  inter- 
pose, until  they  are  finally  cut  off  and 
consigned  to  ruin.  Elihu  had  stated 
what  was  the  effect  in  two  classes  of 
persons  who  were  afflicted.  There 
were  those  who  were  truly  pious,  and 
who  would  receive  affliction  as  sent 
from  God  for  purposes  of  discipline, 
and  who  would  repent  and  seek  his 
mercy,  ver.  11.  There  were  those, 
as  a  second  class,  who  were  openly 
wicked,  and  who  would  not  be  bene- 
fited by  afflictions,  and  who  would 
thus  be  cut  off,  ver.  12.  He  says, 
also,  that  there  was  a  third  class — 
the  class  of  hypocrites,  who  also 
were  not  profited  by  afllictions,  and 
who  would  only  by  their  perverse- 
ness  and  rebellion  heap  up  wrath. 
It  is  possible  that  he  may  have  de- 
signed to  include  Job  in  this  number, 
as  his  three  friends  had  done,  but  it 
seems  more  probable  that  he  meant 
merely  to  suggest  to  Job  that  there 
was  such  a  class,  and  to  turn  his  mind 
to  the  possibility  that  he  might  be  of 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


I8i 


14  They  '  die  in  youth,  "  and 
their  life  is  among  the  "^  un- 
clean. 


1  their  soul  dietk. 


the  number.  In  explaining  the  de- 
sign and  effect  of  aiilictions,  ii  was  at 
least  proper  to  refer  to  this  class, 
since  it  could  not  be  doubted  that 
there  were  men  of  this  description. 
^  They  cry  not  icheti  he  bindcth  them. 
They  do  not  cry  to  Cod  with  the 
hui^juageof  penitence  when  he  binds 
tlieni  down  by  calamities.  See  ver.  8. 
]-l.  They  die  in  youth.  JMarg.  their 
soul  dieth.  The  word  soxd  or  life  in 
the  Hebrew  is  used  to  denote  one's 
self  The  meaning  is,  that  they  would 
soon  be  cut  down,  ana  share  the  lot 
of  the  openly  wicked.  If  they  amend- 
ed their  lives  they  might  be  spared, 
and  continue  to  live  in  prosperity  and 
honor ;  if  they  did  not,  whether 
openly  wicked  or  hypocrites,  they 
would  be  early  cut  otf.  IT  Jlnd  their 
life  is  amonrr  the  unclean.  Marg. 
Sodomites.  The  idea  is,  that  they 
would  be  treated  in  the  same  way  as 
the  most  abandoned  and  vile  of  the 
race.  No  special  favor  would  be 
shown  to  them  because  they  were 
j/rofessors  of  religion,  nor  would  this 
fact  be  a  shield  against  the  treatment 

I     which   they  deserved.     They   could 

I  not  be  classed  with  the  righteous,  and 
must,  therefore,  share  the  fate  of  the 
most  worthless  and  wicked  of  the 
race,  Tlie  word  rendered  unclean 
(C-iwhp)  is  from  'd'-\p^—kadhdsh,  to 
be  pure  or  holy  ;  and  in  Iliph,  to  re- 
gard as  holy,  to  consecrate,  or  devote 
to  the  service  of  God,  as  e.  g.  a  priest. 

j  Ex.  xxviii.  41,  xxix.  1.  Then  il 
means  to  consecrate  or  devote  to  any 
service  or  purpose,  as  to  an  idol  god. 
Hence  it  means  one  consecrated  or 
devoted  to  the  service  of  Astarte, 
the  goddess  of  the  Sidonians,  or 
Venus,  and  as  this  worship  was  cor- 
rupt and  licentious,  the  word  means 
one  who  is  licentious  or  corrupt. 
Comp.  Deut.  xxiii.  18.  1  Kings  xiv. 
24.    Gen.    xxxviii.    21,    22.     Here  it 

\     means  the  licentious,  the  corrupt,  the 


15  He  delivereth  the  ^  poor  in 
his  affliction,  and  openeth  their 
ears  in  oppression  : 

2  Sodomites,  De.  23.  17.         3  or,  nfll.cted. 


abandoned  ;  and  the  idea  is,  that  is 
livpocrites  did  not  repent  under  the 
inflictions  of  divine  judgment,  they 
would  be  dealt  witii  in  the  same  way 
as  the  most  abandoned  and  vile.  On 
tiie  evidence  that  licentiousness  con- 
stituted a  part  of  the  ancient  worsliip 
of  idols,  see  Spencer  </e  Legg.  rituall 
HebrcEor.  Lib.  ii.  cap.  iii.  pp.  613, 
614.  Ed.  1732.  Jerome  renders  this, 
ijiter  effceminatos .  The  LXX,  strange- 
ly enough,  "  Let  their  life  be  wound- 
ed by  angels." 

15.  He  delivereth  the  poor  in  his 
affliction.  Marg.  "  or  afflicted."  This 
accords  better  with  the  usual  mean- 
ing of  the  Hebrew  word  C^^^),  and 
with  the  connection.  Tlie  inquiry 
was  not  particularly  respecting  the 
poor,  but  the  afflicted,  and  the  senti- 
ment which  Elihu  is  illustrating  is, 
that  when  the  afflicted  call  upon  God 
he  will  deliver  them.  The  object  is 
to  induce  Job  to  make  such  an  appli- 
cation to  God  that  he  might  be  res- 
cued from  his  calamities,  and  be  per- 
mitted yet  to  enjoy  life  and  happiness. 
ir  .^itid  openeth  their  ears.  Causes 
them  to  understand  the  nature  of  liis 
government,  and  the  reasons  why  he 
visits  them  in  this  manner.  Comp. 
ch.  xxxiii.  16,  23-27.  The  sentiment 
here  is  a  mere  repetition  of  what 
Elihu  had  more  than  once  before  ad- 
vanced. It  is  his  leading  thought; 
the  principle  on  which  he  undertakes 
to  explain  the  reason  why  God  afflicts 
men,  and  by  which  he  proposes  to 
remove  the  difference  between  Job 
and  his  friends.  IT  In  oppression. 
This  word  expresses  too  much.  It 
refers  to  God,  and  implies  that  there 
was  something  oppressive,  harsh,  or 
cruel  in  his  dealings.  This  is  not 
the  idea  of  Elihu  in  the  language 
which  he  uses.  The  word  i»'hich  lie 
uses  here  (^H?)  means  that  which 
crushes  ;  then  straits,  distress,  aJflic- 
tion.    Jerome,  in  tribulatione.     The 


186 


JOB. 


16  Even  so  would  he  have 
removed  thee  out  of  the  strait 
into  a  broad  "  place,  where  there 
is  no  straitness  ;  and  '  that  which 
should  be  set  on  thy  table  ' 
should  be  full  of  fatness. 

word     affliction   would    express    the 
thought. 

16.  Even  so  xoould  he  have,  removed 
thee.  That  is,  if  you  had  been  patient 
and  resigned,  and  if  you  had  gone  to 
him  witli  a  broken  heart.  Having 
stated  tlie  ■principles  in  regard  to 
affliction  which  he  held  to  be  indis- 
putable, and  having  aitirmed  that  God 
was  ever  ready  to  relieve  the  sufferer 
if  he  would  apply  to  liim  with  a 
proper  spirit,  it  was  natural  to  infer 
from  this  that  the  reason  why  Job 
continued  to  suffer  was,  that  he  did 
not  manifest  a  proper  spirit  in  his 
trials.  Had  he  done  this,  Eliliu  says, 
the  hand  of  God  would  have  been 
long  since  withdrawn,  and  his  afflic- 
tions-would have  been  removed.  IT 
Out  of  the  strait  into  a  broad  place. 
From  the  narrow,  pent-up  way,  where 
it  is  impossible  to  move,  into  a  wide 
and  open  path.  Afflictions  are  com- 
pared with  a  narrow  path,  in  which 
it  is  impossible  to  get  along;  pros- 
perity with  a  broad  and  open  road 
in  which  there  are  no  obstructions. 
Comp.  Ps.  .xviii.  19,  x.xxi.  8.  U  .^nd 
that  wldch  should  be  set  on  thy  table. 
3Iarg.  the  rest  of  thy  table.  The 
Hebrew  word  Cnfja — from  H'D ,  to 
rest.,  and  in  Hiph.  to  set  down,  to 
cause  to  rest)  means  properly  a  Ict- 
tinrr,  or  setting  down;  and  then  that 
which  is  set  down — as  e.  g.  food  on  a 
table.  This  is  the  idea  here,  that  the 
food  which  would  be  set  on  his  table 
would  be  rich  and  abundant ;  that  is, 
he  would  be  restored  to  prosperity,  if 
he  evinced  a  penitent  spirit  in  his 
trials,  and  confessed  his  sins  to  God. 
The  same  image  of  piety  occurs  in 
Ps.  xxiii.  5,  "  Thou  preparest  a  table 
before  me  in  the  presence  of  mine 
enemies." 

17.  Bxit  thou  hast  fulfilled  the  judg- 
ment of  the  wicked.     RosenmUilerex- 


17  But  thou  hast  fulfilled  the 
judgment  of  the  wicked  :  judg- 
ment and  justice  '*take  hold  on 
thee. 


a  Ps.  31.  8. 
6  Ps.  i}3.  5. 


1  the  rest  of  thy  table. 

2  or. should  vphold  t'lee. 


plains  this  as  meaning,  '  If  under 
divine  inflictions  and  chastisements 
you  wish  to  imitate  the  obduracy  of 
the  wicked,  then  the  cause  and  the 
punisliment  will  mutually  sustain 
themselves  ;  that  is,  the  one  will  be 
commensurate  with  the  other.'  But 
it  i.*;  not  necessary  to  regard  this  as  a 
supposition.  It  has  rather  the  aspect 
of  an  affirmation,  meaning  to  express 
the  fact  that  Job  had,  an  Elihu  feared, 
evinced  the  same  spirit  in  his  trials 
which  the  wicked  do.  He  had  not 
seen  in  him  evidence  of  penitence 
and  of  a  desire  to  return  to  God,  but 
had  heard  complaints  and  murmur- 
ings,  such  as  the  wicked  indulge  in. 
He  had  '  filled  up,'  or  'fulfilled,'  the 
judgment  of  the  wicked  ;  that  is,  he 
had  in  no  way  come  short  of  the 
opinion  which  they  expressed  of  the 
divine  dealings.  Still  it  is  possible 
that  the  word  '  if  may  be  here  un- 
derstood, and  that  Elihu  means 
merely  to  state  that  if  Job  should 
manifest  the  same  spirit  with  the 
wicked,  instead  of  a  spirit  of  peni- 
tence, he  would  have  reason  to  appre 
hend  the  same  doom  which  they  ex- 
perience. IT  Judgment  and  justice 
take  hold  on  thee.  Marg,  "  or,  should 
vphold  thee.''  The  Hebrew  word 
here  rendered  take — >l3^ri'^.  ,  is  from 
T(''3r} — to  take  hold  of,  to  obtain,  to 
hold  fast,  to  support.  RosenmCiller 
and  Gesenius  suppose  that  the  word 
here  has  a  reciprocal  sense,  and 
means  they  take  hold  of  each  other, 
or  sustain  each  other.  Prof.  Lee  ren- 
ders it,  "Both  judgment  and  justice 
will  uphold  this;"  that  is,  the  senti- 
ment which  he  had  just  advanced, 
that  Job  had  filled  up  the  judgment 
of  the  wicked.  Umbreit  renders  it, 
"  If  thou  art  full  of  the  opinion  of  the 
wicked,  then  the  opinion  and  justice 
will  rapidly  follow  each  other" 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


187 


I  18  Because  there  is  wrath, 
beicare  lest  he  take  thee  away 
with  his  stroke  :  then  a  great 
ransom  cannot  '  deliver  thee. 


1  tuim  thcc  aside. 


a  Pr.  11.  4. 


Doch   wenn    du   vol!   bist   voii  des   Frevlers 

Urtheil, 
So   werden  Urllieil  und  Gericht  sclinell  auf 

einander  folgeii. 

According  to  this  the  meaning  is,  that 
if  Job  held  the  opinions  oi"  wicked 
men,  he  must  expect  that  these  opin- 
ions would  be  rapidly  followed  by 
judgment,  or  that  they  would  go  to- 
getiier,  and  support  each  other.  This 
seems  to  me  to  be  in  accordance  with 
the  connection,  and  to  express  the 
tiiought  which  Elihu  meant  to  con- 
vey. It  is  a  sentiment  which  is  un- 
doubtedly true — that  if  a  man  holds 
the  sentiments,  and  manifests  the 
spirit  of  the  wicked,  he  must  expect 
to  be  treated  as  they  are. 

18.  Because  there  is  icrath.  That 
is,  the  wratli  of  God  is  to  be  dreaded. 
The  meaning  is,  that  if  Job  perse- 
vered in  the  spirit  which  he  had 
manifested,  he  had  every  reason  to 
expect  that  God  would  suddenly  cut 
him  otr.  He  might  now  repent  and 
find  mere)',  but  he  had  shown  the 
spirit  of  those  who  were  rebellious 
in  affliction,  and  if  he  persevered  in 
that,  he  had  nothing  to  expect  but  the 
wrath  of  God.  TT  With  his  stroke. 
With  his  smiting  or  chastisement. 
Comp.  ch.  xx.xiv.  26.  H  Then  a  great 
ransom  cannot  deliver  thee.  Marg. 
turn  thee  aside.  The  meaning  is,  that 
a  great  ransom  could  not  prevent  him 
from  being  cut  oft'.  On  the  meaning 
of  the  word  ransom,  see  Notes  on 
cli.  xxxiii.  24.  The  idea  here  is,  not 
that  a  great  ransom  could  not  deliver 
him  after  he  was  cut  off  and  con- 
signed to  hell — which  would  be  true  ; 
but  that  when  he  had  manifested  a 
spirit  of  insubmission  a  little  longer, 
nothing  could  save  him  from  being 
cut  off  from  the  land  of  the  living. 
God  would  not  spare  him  on  account 
of  wealth,  or  rank,  or  age,  or  wis- 
dom.     None  of  these  things  would  be 


19  Will  he  esteem  thy  rich- 
es ?  "  no,  not  gold,  nor  all  the 
forces  of  strength. 

20  Desire  not  the  night,  wiien 
people  are  cut  off  in  their  place. 


a  ransom  in  virtue  of  which  his  for- 
feited life  would  be  preserved. 

19.  Wilt  he  esteem  t/iij  riches?  That 
is,  God  will  not  regard  thy  riches  as 
a  reason  why  he  should  not  cut  you 
oft",  or  as  a  ransom  for  your  forfeited 
life.  The  reference  here  must  be  to 
the  fact  that  Job  had  hcen  a  rich  man, 
and  the  meaning  is,  either  that  God 
would  not  spare  him  because  he  had 
been  a  rich  man,  or  that  if  he  had 
now  all  the  wealth  which  he  once 
possessed,  it  would  not  be  sufficient  to 
be  a  ransom  for  his  life,  li  JVor  all 
the  forces  of  strength.  Not  all  that 
gives  power  and  influence  to  a  man 
— wealth,  age,  wisdom,  reputation, 
authorit}',  and  rank.  The  meaning 
is,  that  God  would  not  regard  any  of 
these  when  a  man  was  rebellious  in 
affliction,  and  refused  in  a  proper 
manner  to  acknowledge  his  Maker. 
Of  the  truth  of  what  is  here  afhrnied, 
there  can  be  no  doubt.  Riches,  rank, 
and  honors  cannot  redeem  the  life  of 
a  man.  They  do  not  save  him  from 
the  grave,  and  from  all  that  is  gloomy 
and  revolting  there.  When  God 
comes  forth  to  deal  with  mankind,  he 
does  not  regard  their  gold,  their  rank, 
their  splendid  robes  or  palaces,  but  he 
deals  with  them  as  men — and  the 
gay,  the  beautiful,  the  rich,  the  noble, 
moulder  back,  under  his  hand,  to 
their  native  dust,  in  tlie  same  manner 
as  the  most  humble  peasant.  How 
forcibly  should  this  teach  us  not  to 
set  our  hearts  on  wealth,  and  not  to 
seek  the  honors  and  wealth  of  the 
world  as  our  portion  ! 

20.  Desire  not  the  night.  That  is, 
evidently,  the  night  of  death.  The 
darkness  of  the  night  is  an  emblem 
of  death,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to 
speak  of  death  in  this  manner.  See 
John  ix.  4,  "  The  night  cometh,  when 
no  man  can  work."  Elihu  seems  to 
have  supposed  that  Job  might  have 


188 


JOB. 


21  Take  heed,  retrard  not  in-    rather  than  affliction, 
iquity  :   for  this  hast  thou  chosen 


looked  forward  to  deatli  as  to  a  time 
of  release  ;  that  so  far  from  dreading 
what  he  had  said  would  come,  that 
God  would  cut  him  off  at  a  stroke,  it 
might  be  the  very  thing  which  he  de- 
sired, and  which  he  anticipated  would 
be  an  end  of  liis  sufferings.  Indeed 
Job  had  more  than  once  expressed 
some  such  sentiment,  and  Elihu  de- 
signs to  meet  that  stale  of  mind,  and 
to  charge  him  not  to  look  forward  to 
death  as  relief.  If  his  present  state 
of  mind  continued,  he  says,  he  would 
perish  under  tlie  '  wrath'  of  God  ;  and 
death  in  sucli  a  manner,  great  as 
might  be  his  sufferings  here,  could 
not  be  desirable.  H  When  j}eopJe  are 
cut  off  in  their  place.  On  this  pas- 
sage, Schultens  enumerates  no  less 
than  Jiftceri  different  interpretations 
wliich  have  been  given,  and  at  the 
end  of  this  enumeration  remarks  that 
he  "  waits  for  clearer  light  to  over- 
come the  shadesof  this  night."  Rosen- 
milller  supposes  it  means,  "  Long  not 
for  the  night,  in  wliich  nations  go 
under  themselves  ;"  that  is,  in  which 
they  go  down  to  the  inferior  regions, 
or  in  which  they  perish.  Noyes  ren- 
ders it,  "  To  which  nations  are  taken 
away  to  their  place."  Umbreit  ren- 
ders it,  "  Pant  not  for  the  night,  to  go 
down  to  the  people  who  dwell  under 
thee;"  that  is,  to  the  Shades,  or  to 
those  that  dwell  in  Sheol.  Prof.  Lee 
translates  it,  "  Pant  not  for  the  night, 
for  the  rising  of  the  populace  from 
their  places."  Coverdale,  "  Prolong 
not  thou  the  time,  till  there  come  a 
night  for  thee  to  set  other  people  in 
thy  stead."  Tlie  LXX,  "Do  not 
draw  out  the  night,  tliat  the  people 
may  come  instead  of  them;"  that 
IS,  to  their  assistance.  Dr.  Good, 
"  Neither  long  thou  for  the  night,  for 
the  vaults  of  the  nations  underneath 
them  ;"  and  supposes  that  the  refer- 
ence is  to  the  catacomhs,  or  mummy- 
pits  that  were  employed  for  burial- 
places.  These  are  but  specimens  of 
the  interpretations  which  have  been 
proposed  for  this  passage,   and  it  is 


easy  to  see  that  there  is  little  pros- 
pect of  being  able  to  explain  it  in  a 
satisfactory  manner.  Tiie  principal 
difficulty  in  the  passage  is  in  the  word 
rendered  cvtoff,  (S""!^?),  which  means 
to  go  vp,  to  ascend,  and  in  the  incon- 
gruity between  that  and  the  word 
rendered  in  their  place,  (onnrij, 
which  UteraUj  means  under  them.  A 
literal  translation  of  the  passage  is, 
'Do  not  desire  the  night  to  ascend  to 
the  people  under  them  ;'  but  I  con- 
fess I  cannot  understand  the  passage, 
after  all  the  attemjjts  made  to  explain 
it.  The  translation  given  by  Umbreit, 
seems  best  to  agree  with  the  connec- 
tion, but  1  am  unable  to  see  that  the 
Hebrew  would  bear  this.  See,  how- 
ever, his  Note  on  the  passage.  The 
word  <^?2J  he  understands  here  in 
the  sense  of  going  away,  or  hear- 
ing aicay,  and  the  phrase  the  "  people 
under  them,"  as  denoting  tlie  Shades 
in  the  world  beneath  us.  The  whole 
expression  then  would  be  equivalent 
to  a  wish  to  die — with  the  expecta- 
tion that  there  would  be  a  change  for 
the  better,  or  a  release  from  present 
sufferings.  Elihu  admonishes  Job 
not  to  indulge  such  a  A\ish,  for  it 
would  be  no  gain  for  a  man  to  die  in 
the  state  of  mind  in  which  he  then 
was. 

21.  Tak£  heed,  regard  not  iniquity. 
That  is,  be  cautious  that  in  the  view 
which  you  take  of  the  divine  govern 
ment,  and  the  sentiments  wliich  you 
express,  you  do  not  become  the  advo- 
cate of  iniquity.  Elihu  apprehended 
this  from  the  remarks  in  which  he 
had  indulged,  and  regarded  him  as 
having  become  the  advocate  of  the 
same  sentiments  which  the  wicked, 
held,  and  as  in  fact  manifesting  the 
same  spirit.  It  is  well  to  put  a  man  who 
is  afflicted  on  his  guard  agaiiKst  this, 
when  he  attempts  to  reason  about  the 
divine  administralion.  IT  For  this  hast 
thou  chosen  rather  than  affliction. 
That  is,  you  have  chosen  rather  to 
give  vent  to    the    language   of  com- 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


189 


22  Behold,  God  "  exalteth  by 
his  power  :  who  teacheth  '  like 
him? 

a  Da.  4.  25.  33.  6  Ps.  94.  \-2. 

plaint,  than  to  bear  your  trials  with 
resignation.  "  You  have  cliosen  ra- 
ther to  accuse  divine  Providence 
than  to  submit  patiently  to  his  chas- 
tisements." Patrick.  There  was  too 
mucii  trutli  in  this  remark  about  Job  ; 
and  it  is  still  not  an  uncommon  thing 
in  times  of  trial,  and  indeed  inhuman 
I  i  te  i  n  ge  n  e  ra  1 .  M  e  n  o  fte  n  pre  fe  r  i  n  i  - 
quity  to  alHiction.  Tliey  will  com- 
mit crime  rather  than  sutler  the  evils 
of  poverty  ;  they  will  be  guilty  of 
fraud  and  forgery  to  avoid  apprehend- 
ed want.  They  will  be  dishonest  to 
their  creditors  rather  than  submit  to 
the  disgrace  of  bankruptcy.  They 
will  take  advantage  of  the  widow 
and  the  fatherless  rather  than  sufler 
themselves.  Sin  is  often  preferred  to 
affliction;  and  many  are  the  men  who, 
to  avoid  calamity,  would  not  shrink 
from  the  commission  of  wrong.  Espe- 
cially in  times  of  trial,  when  the  hand 
of  God  is  laid  on  men,  they  prefer  a 
spirit  of  complaining  and  murmuring 
to  patient  and  calm  resignation  to  the 
will  of  God.  They  seek  relief  even 
in  complaining ;  and  think  it  some 
alleviation  of  tlieir  sufferings  tliat 
thej-  c&n  find  fault  with  God.  "They 
who  choose  iniquity'  ratlier  than 
affliction,  make  a  very  foolish  choice  ; 
they  that  ease  their  cares  by  sinful 
pleasures,  escape  their  troubles  by 
sinful  projects,  and  evade  sufferings 
fiir  righteousness'  sake  by  sinful  com- 
pliances against  their  consciences  ; 
tliese  make  a  choice  thev  will  repent 
of,  for  there  is  more  evil  in  the  least 
sin  than  in  the  greatest  affliction." 
He.nrij. 

23.  Behold,  God  exalteth  by  his 
j)07cer.  The  object  of  Eliiin  is  now 
to  direct  the  attention  of  Job  to  God, 
and  to  show  liim  that  he  has  evinced 
Buch  power  and  wisdom  in  his  works, 
that  we  ought  not  to  presume  to  ar- 
raign him,  but  should  bow  with  sub- 
mission to  his  will.  He  remarks, 
therefore,  tliat  God  exalts,  or  rather 


23  Who  hath  enjoined  him 
his  way  ?  or  who  can  say,  Thou 
hast  wrought  iniquity  1 

24  Remember  that  thou  maof- 


that  God  is  exalted,  or  exalts  hijnself 
(S'^SW'])  by  his  power.  In  liie  exhi- 
bition of  his  power,  he  thus  siiows 
that  he  is  great,  and  tliat  men  ougiit 
to  be  submissive  to  him.  In  support 
of  this,  he  appeals,  in  the  remainder 
of  his  discourse,  to  the  tvorhs  of  God 
as  furnishing  extraordinary  proofs  of 
power,  and  full  demonstration  that 
God  is  exalted  far  above  man.  K  Who 
teacheth  like  him  ?  The  LXX  render 
this,  ()ii)'«0Tf,'s — "  Who  is  so  power- 
ful as  lie.''"  RosenmUller  and  Um- 
breit  render  it  Lord  :  "  Who  is  Lord 
like  him  .''"  But  the  Hebrew  word 
(iTII^j  properly  means  one  icho  in- 
structs, and  tlie  idea  is,  that  there  is 
no  one  who  is  qualified  to  give  so  ex- 
alted conceptions  of  the  government 
of  God  as  he  is  himself.  The  object 
is  to  direct  the  mind  to  him  as  he  is 
revealed  in  his  works,  in  order  to  ob- 
tain elevated  conceptions  of  his  gov- 
ernmeut. 

23.  li'ho  hath  enjoined  him  his  way  ? 
Who  has  prescribed  to  him  what  he 
ought  to  do .''  Who  is  superior  to 
him,  and  has  marked  out  for  him  the 
plan  which  he  ought  to  pursue.'  The 
idea  is,  that  God  is  supreme  and  in- 
dependent ;  no  one  has  advised  him, 
and  no  one  has  a  right  to  counsel 
him.  Perhaps,  also,  Elihu  designs 
this  as  a  reproof  to  Job  for  having  com- 
plained so  much  of  the  government 
of  God,  and  for  being  disposed,  as  he 
thought,  Xo  prescrihe  to  God  what  he 
should  do.  II  IVhocan  say,  Thou  hast 
icrouffht  iyiiqjtity?  Thou  hast  done 
wrong.  The  object  of  Elihu  is  here 
to  show  that  no  one  has  a  right  to  say 
tliis  ;  no  one  could,  in  fact,  say  it.  it 
was  to  he  regarded  as  an  indisputable 
point  that  God  is  ahvays  riglit,  and 
that  Jiowever  dark  his  dealings  with 
men  may  seem,  the  reason  why  they 
are  mysterious  never  is,  that  God  is 
wrong. 

24.  Remember  that  thou  magnify  hia 


190 


JOB. 


nify  "  his  work,  which  men  be- 
hold. 

25  Every    man   may    see    it ; 
man  may  behold  it  afar  off. 

a  Ps.  118.  2,  8. 

work.  Make  this  a  great  and  settled 
principle,  to  remember  that  God  is 
great  in  all  that  he  does.  He  is  exalted 
far  above  us,  and  all  his  works  are  on 
a  scale  of  vastness  corresponding  to 
his  nature,  and  in  all  our  attempts  to 
judge  of  him  and  his  doings,  we 
should  bear  this  in  remembrance.  He 
is  not  to  be  judged  by  tlie  narrow 
views  which  we  apply  to  the  doings 
of  men,  but  by  the  views  which 
ought  to  be  taken  when  we  remem- 
ber that  he  presides  over  the  vast  uni- 
verse, and  that  as  the  universal  Parent, 
he  will  consult  the  welfare  of  the 
whole.  In  judging  of  his  doings, 
therefore,  we  are  not  to  place  our- 
selves in  the  centre,  or  to  regard  our- 
selves as  the  tchole  of  the  creation, 
but  we  are  to  remember  that  there 
are  other  great  interests  to  be  regard- 
ed, and  that  his  plans  will  be  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  welfare  of  the 
whole.  One  of  the  best  rules  for 
taking  a  proper  estimate  of  God  is 
that  proposed  here  by  Elihu — to  re- 
member that  HE  IS  GREAT.  If  Wkicli 
men  behold.  The  Vulgate  renders 
this,  de  quo  cecinerunt  ciri — '  con- 
cerning which  men  sing.'  The  LXX, 
wv  iju^av  ai'd'Qfi; — '  over  which  men 
.i-de.'  Schultens  accords  with  the 
Vulgate.  So  Coverdale  renders  it, 
"  Whom  all  men  love  and  praise." 
So  Herder  and  Noyes  understand  it, 
"  Which  men  celebrate  with  songs." 
Tliis  difterence  of  interpretation 
arises  from  the  ambiguity  of  the 
Hebrew  word  (^^1'^),  some  deriving 
it  from  ^ITU  — shur.,  to  go  round  about, 
and  then  to  survey,  look  upon,  exam 
ine  ;  and  some  from  ^^'■ii — shir,  to 
sing,  to  celebrate.  The  word  will  ad- 
mit ofeither  interpretation,  and  either 
will  suit  the  connection.  The  sensrC 
of  seeing  those  works,  however,  bet- 
ter agrees  with  what  is  said  in  the 


26  Behold,  God  is  great,  and 
we  know  hitti  not ;  neither  '  can 
the  number  of  his  years  be 
searched  out. 

b  Ps.  102.  34. 

following  verse,  and  perhaps  better 
suits  the  connection.  The  object  of 
Elihu  is  not  to  fix  the  attention  on 
the  fact  that  men  celebrate  the  works 
of  God,  but  to  turn  the  eyes  to  the 
visible  creation,  as  a  proof  of  the 
greatness  of  the  Almighty. 

25.  Every  man  may  see  it.  That  is, 
every  man  may  look  on  the  visible 
creation,  and  see  proofs  there  of  the 
wisdom  and  greatness  of  God.  All 
may  look  on  the  sun,  the  moon,  the 
stars ;  all  may  behold  the  tempest 
and  the  storm  ;  all  may  see  the  light- 
ning and  the  rain,  and  may  form  some 
conception  of  the  majesty  of  the  Most 
High.  The  idea  of  Elihu  here  is, 
that  every  man  might  trace  the  evi 
deuces  that  God  is  great  in  bis  works 
IT  Man  may  behold  it  afar  off.  His 
works  are  so  great  and  glorious  that 
they  make  an  impression  even  at  a 
vast  distance.  Though  we  are  sepa- 
rated from  them  by  a  space  which 
surpasses  tlie  power  of  computa- 
tion, yet  they  are  so  great  that  they 
fill  the  mind  with  vast  conceptions  of 
tiie  majesty  and  glory  of  their  Maker. 
This  is  true  of  the  heavenlj'  bodies ; 
and  the  more  we  learn  of  their  im- 
mense distances  from  us,  the  more  is 
the  mind  impressed  with  the  great- 
ness and  glory  of  the  visible  creation. 

26.  Behold,  God  is  great,  and  ve 
Jijiow  him  not.  That  is,  we  cannot 
fully  comprehend  him.  See  Notes  on 
ch.  xi.  7-9.  If  JVcitlicr  can  the  num- 
ber of  his  years  be  searched  out.  That 
is,  he  is  eternal.  The  object  of  what 
is  said  here  is  to  impress  the  mind 
with  a  sense  of  the  greatness  of  God, 
and  with  the  folly  of  attempting  fully 
to  comprehend  the  reason  of  what  he 
does.  Man  is  of  a  few  days,  and  k  is 
presumption  in  him  to  sit  in  judg- 
ment on  the  doings  of  one  who  is 
from  eternity.  We  may  here  remark 
that  the  doctrine  that  there  is  an  Eter 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


191 


27  For  he  maketh  small  the 
drops  of  water  :  they  pour  down 
rain  "  according  to  the  vapour 
thereof, 

a  Ps.  147.  8,  9. 

nal  Beiiigpresiding  over  the  universe, 
was  a  doctrine  fully  held  by  the 
speakers  in  this  book — a  doctrine  far 
in  advance  of  all  tliat  philosophy 
ever  taught,  and  which  was  unknown 
for  ages  in  the  lands  on  which  the 
light  of  revelation  never  shone. 

:^7.  For  he  maketh  small  the  drops 
of  2cittcr.  Elilui  now  appeals,  as  lie 
proposed  to  do,  to  the  works  of  God, 
and  begins  with  what  appeared  so  re- 
markable and  inexplicable,  the  wis- 
dom of  God  in  the  rain  and  the  dew, 
the  tempest  and  the  vapor.  That 
which  excited  his  wonder  was,  the 
fact  in  regard  to  the  suspension  of 
water  in  the  clouds,  and  the  distilling 
of  it  on  the  earth  in  the  form  of  rain 
and  dew.  This  very  illustration  had 
been  used  by  Eliphaz  for  a  similar 
purpose  (Notes  ch.  v.  9,  10),  and 
whether  we  regard  it  as  it  appears  to 
men  without  the  light  which  science 
has  thrown  upon  it,  or  look  at  the 
manner  in  whicli  God  suspends  water 
in  the  clouds  and  sends  it  down  in 
the  form  of  rain  and  dew,  with  all 
the  light  which  has  been  furnished  by 
science,  the  fact  is  one  that  evinces 
in  an  eminent  degree  the  wisdom  of 
God.  The  word  which  is  rendered 
"maketh  small  "  (^"^J),  means  pro- 
perly to  scrape  off,  to  detract,  to  di- 
minish, to  take  away  from.  In  Piel, 
the  form  used  here,  it  means,  accord- 
ing to  Gesenius,  to  take  to  one's  self,  to 
attract;  and  the  sense  here,  according 
to  this,  is,  that  God  attracts,  or  draws 
upwards  the  drops  of  water.  So  it  is 
rendered  by  Herder,  Noyes,  Umbreit, 
and  R,osenmaller.  The  idea  is,  that 
he  draics  up  the  drops  of  the  water  to 
the  clouds,  and  then  pours  them  down 
in  rain.  If  the  meaning  in  our  com- 
mon version  be  retained,  the  idea 
would  be,  that  it  was  proof  of  great 
wisdom  in  God  that  the  water  de- 
scended   in    small  drops,   instead   of 


28  Which  the  clouds  do  drop 
and  distil  upon  man  abundantly. 

29  Also  can  any  understand 
the  spreadings  of  the  clouds,  or 
the  noise  of  his  tabernacle  1 


coming  down  in  a  deluge.  Comp. 
Notes  on  ch.  xxvi.  8.  11  They  pour 
doicn  rain.  That  is,  the  clouds  pour 
down  the   rain.     IT  According  to  the 

vapor  thereof —  '1''^?  .  The  idea 
seems  to  be,  that  the  water  thus 
drawn  up  is  poured  down  again  in 
the  form  of  a  vapory  rain,  and  which 
does  not  descend  in  torrents.  The 
subject  of  admiration  in  the  mind  of 
Elihu  was,  that  water  should  evapo- 
rate and  ascend  to  the  clouds,  and  be 
held  there,  and  then  descend  again  in 
the  form  of  a  gentle  rain  or  tine  mist. 
The  reason  for  admiration  is  not  less- 
ened by  becoming  more  fully  ac- 
quainted with  the  laws  by  which  it  is 
done  than  Elihu  can  be  supposed  to 
have  been. 

28.  Upon  man  abundantly.  That 
is,  upon  many  men.  The  clouds 
having  received  the  ascending  vapor, 
retain  it,  and  pour  it  down  copiously 
for  the  use  of  man.  The  arrange 
ment,  to  the  eye  even  of  one  who  did 
not  understand  the  scientific  princi- 
ples by  which  it  is  done,  is  beautiful 
and  wonderful ;  the  beauty  and  won- 
der are  increased  when  the  laws  by 
which  it  is  accomplished  are  under- 
stood. Elihu  does  not  attempt  to  ex- 
plain the  jnorfe  by  which  this  is  done. 
The  fact  was  probably  all  that  was 
then  understood,  and  that  was  suffi- 
cient for  his  purpose.  The  LXX 
have  given  a  translation  of  this  verse 
which  cannot  be  well  accounted  for, 
and  which  is  certainly  very  unlike 
the  original.  It  is,  "  But  when  the 
clouds  cast  a  shade  over  the  dumb 
creation,  he  impresseth  a  care  on 
beasts,  and  they  know  the  order  for 
retiring  to  rest — xofr^t;  ruSiv  ■  At 
all  these  things  is  not  their  under- 
standing confounded  ?  And  is  not  thy 
heart  starting  from  tliy  body  ?" 

29.  Also,  can  any  understand  the 
spreadings  of  the  clouds  ?     The  out- 


192 


JOB. 


80  Behold,  he  spreadeth  "  his 
light  upon  it,  and  covereth  the 
'  bottom  of  the  sea. 

a  Lu.  17.  24.  1  roots. 

epreading — tlie  manner  in  which  they 
expand  themselves  over  us.  TJie 
idea  is,  that  the  manner  in  which  the 
clouds  seem  to  spread  out,  or  unfold 
themselves  on  the  sky,  could  not  be 
explained,  and  was  a  striking  proof 
of  the  wisdom  and  power  of  God.  In 
the  early  periods  of  the  world,  it  could 
not  be  expected  that  the  causes  ofthese 
phenomena  would  be  known.  Now 
that  the  causes  are  better  known, 
however,  they  do  not  less  indicate 
the  wisdom  and  power  of  God,  nor  are 
these  facts  less  fitted  to  excite  our 
wonder.  The  simple  and  beautiful 
laws  by  which  the  clouds  are  sus- 
pended ;  by  which  they  roll  in  the 
sky ;  by  which  they  spread  them- 
selves out — as  in  a  rising  tempest, 
and  by  which  they  seem  to  unfold 
themselves  over  the  heavens,  should 
increase,  ratlier  than  diminish,  our 
conceptions  of  the  wisdom  and  power 
of  tiie  Most  High.  IT  Or,  the  noise  of 
his  tabernacle.  Referring,  doubtless, 
to  thunder.  The  clouds  are  repre- 
sented as  a  tent  or  pavilion  spread 
out  for  the  dwelling  of  God  (conip. 
Notes  on  Isa.  xl.  22),  and  the  idea  here 
is,  that  the  noise  made  in  a  thunder- 
storm is  in  the  peculiar  dwelling  of 
God.  Herder  well  expresses  it,  "  The 
fearful  thunderings  in  his  tent."' 
Comp.  Ps.  ,\viii.  11  : 

He  made  darkne-ss  his  secret  place, 
His  pavilion  round  about  him  were  dark  waters 
and  thick  clouds  of  the  skies. 

The  sense  here  is,  Who  can  under- 
stand and  explain  the  cause  of  thun- 
der ?  The  object  of  Elihu  in  this  is, 
to  show  how  great  and  incomprehen- 
sible is  God,  and  nature  furnishes 
few  more  impressive  illustrations  of 
this  than  the  crash  of  thunder. 

30.  Behold,  he  spreadeth  his  light 
upon  it.  That  is,  upon  his  taberna- 
cle or  dwelling-place — the  clouds. 
The  allusion  is  to  lightning,  which 
flashes  in  a  moment  over  the  wliole 
heavens.     The  image  is  exceedingly 


31  For  by  them  *  judgeth  he 
the  people  ;  he  '  giveth  meat  in 
abundance. 

b  De.  8.  2,  15.  c  Ps.  136.  25.  .A.ct3  14.  17 


beautiful  and  graphic.  The  idea  of 
spreading  out  the  light  in  an  instant 
over  the  whole  of  the  darkened 
heavens,  is  that  which  Elihu  had  in 
liis  mind,  and  which  impressed  him 
so  forcibly.  On  the  difficulty  in  re- 
gard to  the  translation  of  the  Sep- 
tuagint  here,  see  Schleusner  on  the 
word  rjSoj.  ^  And  covereth  the  bottom 
of  the  sea.  Marg.  roots.  Tlie  woid 
roots  is  used  to  denote  the  bottom,  as 
being  the  lowest  part  of  a  thing — as 
the  roots  of  a  tree.  The  meaning  is 
that  he  covers  the  lowest  part  of  the 
sea  with  floods  of  waters  ;  and  the 
object  of  Elihu  is  to  give  an  exalted 
conception  of  the  greatness  of  God, 
from  the  fact  that  his  agency  is  seen 
in  the  highest  and  the  lowest  objects. 
He  spreads  out  the  clouds,  thunders 
in  his  tabernacle,  diffuses  a  brilliant 
light  over  the  heavens,  and  at  the 
same  time  is  occupied  in  covering  the 
bottom  of  the  sea  with  the  floods. 
He  is  Lord  over  all,  and  his  agency 
is  seen  every  where.  The  highest 
and  the  lowest  objects  are  under  his 
control,  and  his  agency  is  seen  above 
and  below.  On  the  one  liand,  lie 
covers  the  thick  and  dense  clouds 
with  light ;  and  on  the  other,  he 
envelopes  the  depth  of  the  ocean  in 
impenetrable  darkness. 

31.  For  by  them  judgeth  he  the  peo- 
ple. By  means  of  the  clouds,  the 
rain,  the  dew,  the  tempest,  and  the 
thunderbolt.  The  idea  seems  to  be, 
that  he  makes  use  of  all  these  to  exe- 
cute his  purposes  on  mankind.  He 
can  either  make  them  the  means  ot 
imparting  blessings,  or  of  inflicting 
the  severest  judgments.  He  can 
cause  the  tornado  to  sweep  over  the 
earth  ;  he  can  arm  the  forked  light- 
ning against  the  works  of  art ;  lie 
can  withhold  rain  and  dew,  and 
spread  over  a  land  the  miseries  of 
famine.  II  He  giveth  meat  in  abun- 
dance. That  is,  by  the  clouds,  the 
dew,  the  rain.     The  idea  is,  that  he 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


193 


32  With    clouds  he  covereth 
the    light ;   and    comniandeth   it 

can  send  timely  sliowersif  he  chooses, 
and  the  earth  will  be  clothed  with 
plenty.  All  these  things  are  under 
his  control,  and  he  can,  as  he  pleases, 
make  them  tiie  means  of  comfort  to 
man,  or  of  punishing  him  for  his  sins. 
Comp.  Ps.  Ixv.  ll-i-3. 

32.  With  clouds  he  covereth  the  light. 
Tlie  Hebrew  here  is,  DifiS-bs  _ 
"  upon  his  hands."  Jerome,  Inmani- 
Liis  abscondit  liicem,  '  he  hideth  the 
light  in  his  hands.'  Sept.,  'Eni  /fioJiv 
ixcthi^'t  (poiq — '  he  covereth  the  liglit 
ill  his  hands.'  The  allusion  is,  un- 
doubtedly, to  the  lightning,  and  tlie 
image  is,'that  God  takes  the  lightning 
in  his  hands,  and  directs  it  as  lie 
plciises.  There  has  been  great  variety, 
however,  in  the  exposition  of  this 
verse  and  the  following.  Schultens 
enumerates  no  less  than  twenty-eight 
different  interpretations,  and  almost 
every  commentator  has  had  his  own 
view  of  the  passage.  It  is  quite  evi- 
dent that  our  translators  did  not  un- 
derstand it,  and  were  not  able  to  make 
out  of  it  any  tolerable  sense.  What 
idea  they  attached  to  the  two  verses 
(32,  33),  it  would  be  very  difficult  to 
imagine,  for  what  is  the  meaning 
(ver.  33J  of  the  phrase,  "  the  cattle 
also  concerning  the  vapor .''"  The 
general  sense  of  the  Hebrew  appears 
to  be,  that  God  controls  the  rapid 
lightnings  which  appear  so  vivid, 
so  quick,  and  so  awful ;  and  that  he 
executes  his  own  purposes  with  tliem, 
and  makes  them,  when  he  pleases, 
the  instruments  of  inflicting  punish- 
ment on  his  foes.  The  object  of 
Elihu  is  to  excite  admiration  of  the 
greatness  of  God  who  is  able  thus  to 
control  the  lightning's  flash,  and  to 
make  it  an  obedient  instrument  in  his 
hands.  The  particular  expression 
before  us,  "  By  his  hands  he  covereth 
the  light,"  seems  to  mean  that  he 
seizes  or  holds  the  lightning  in  his 
hands  (Herder),  or  that  he  covers 
over  his  hands  ^rith  tiie  lightning 
( i'rabreit),  and  has  it  under  his  con- 
VOL.   II.  5) 


7iot  to  shine,  by  the  cloud  that 
Cometh  betwixt. 

trol.  Prof.  Lee  supposes  that  it  means, 
that  he  holds  the  lightning  in  the 
palms  of  his  hands,  or  between  his 
two  hands,  as  a  man  holds  a  furious 
wild  animal  which  he  is  about  to  let 
loose  for  the  purpose  of  destroying. 
With  this  he  compares  the  expression 
of  Shakspeare,  "Cry  havock,  and  let 
slip  the  dogs  of  war."'  There  can  be 
no  doubt,  I  think,  that  the  phrase 
means  that  God  has  the  lightning 
under  his  control,  that  it  is  in  his 
hands,  and  that  he  directs  it  as  he 
pleases.  According  to  Umbreit  (Note) 
the  allusion  is  to  the  double  use  which 
God  makes  of  light,  in  one  hand 
holding  the  lightning  to  destroy  his 
foes,  and  in  the  other  the  light  of  the 
sun  to  bless  his  friends,  as  he  makes 
use  of  the  rain  either  for  purposes  oJ 
destruction  or  mercy.  But  this  idea 
is  not  conveyed  in  the  Hebrew.  V 
.^nd  cnmmandeth  it  not  to  shine.  The 
phrase  "  not  to  shine"  is  not  in  the 
Hebrew,  and  destroys  the  sense.  The 
simple  idea  in  the  original  is,  '  ho 
comniandeth  it;'  that  is,  he  has  it 
under  his  control,  directs  it  as  he 
pleases,  makes  use  even  of  the 
forked  lightning  as  an  in.strument  to 
execute  his  pleasure.  II  By  the  cloud 
that  covicth  betwixt.  The  words  "  the 
cloud"  are  also  inserted  by  our  trans- 
lators, and  destroy  the  sense.  There 
is  no  allusion  to  a  cloud,  and  the  idea 
th.1t  the  light  is  intercepted  by  any 
object  is  not  in  tlie  original.  The 
Hebrew  word  (?'^^S123)  means  in  oc- 
curring, in  meeting,  in  striking  upon, 
(from  "?Q — to  strike  upon,  to  im- 
pinge, to  fall  upon,  to  light  upon), 
and  the  sense  here  would  be  well 
expressed  by  the  phrase  "  in  striking." 
The  idea  is  exactly  that  which  we 
have  when  we  apply  the  word  strike 
or  struck  to  lightning,  and  the  mean- 
ing is,  that  he  gives  the  lightning 
commandment  in  striking,  or  when 
it  strikes.  Nothing  could  better  an- 
swer the  purpose  of  an  illustration  for 
Eliliu  in  exciting  elevated  views  of 


194 


JOB. 


33  The  noise  "  thereof  shew- 


]  that  which  geeth  up. 


a  1  Ki.  18.41,  45. 


God,  for  there  is  no  exhibition  of  his 
power  more  wonderful  tlian  tliat  by 
which  he  controls  the  ligiitning. 

33.  The  noise  thereof  shoioeth  con- 
cerning it.  The  word  "  jwise  "  here 
has  been  inserted  by  our  translators 
as  a  version  of  the  Hebrew  word 
(IJ)"!),  and  if  the  translators  attached 
any  idea  to  the  language  which  they 
have  used,  it  seems  to  have  been 
that  the  noise  attending  the  lightning, 
that  is,  the  thunder,  furnished  an  il- 
lustration of  the  power  and  majesty 
of  Cod.  But  it  is  not  possible  to 
educe  this  idea  from  the  original,  and 
perhaps  it  is  not  possible  to  deter- 
mine the  sense  of  the  passage.  Her- 
der renders  it,  "  He  pointeth  out  to 
them  the  wicked."  Prof.  Lee,  "  By 
it  he  announceth  his  will."  Umbreit, 
"He  makes  known  to  it  his  friend  ;" 
that  is,  he  points  out  his  friend  to  the 
light  so  that  it  may  serve  for  the  iiap- 
piness  of  that  friend."  Noyes,  "He 
uttereth  to  him  his  voice ;  to  the 
lierds  and  the  plants."  Rosenmilller, 
"  He  announces  wliat  he  has  decreed 
against  men,  and  the  flocks  wiiich 
the  earth  has  produced."  Many 
other  expositions  have  been  proposed, 
and  there  is  no  reasonaljle  ground  of 
hope  that  an  interpretation  will  be 
arrived  at  which  will  be  free  from  all 
difficulty.  The  principal  difficulty  in 
this  part  of  the  verse  arises  from  the 
word  l^-'t)  J  rendered  in  our  version, 
"The  noise  thereof"  This  may  be 
from  l?*!"!  ,  and  may  mean  a  noise,  or 
outcry,  and  so  it  is  rendered  here  by 
Gesenius,  "  He  makes  known  to  him 
his  thunder,  i.  e.  to  man,  or  to  his 
enemies."     Or  the  word  may  mean 

his  friend,  as  the  word  ?"}  is  often 
used.  Job  ii.  11,  xix.  21.  Prov.  xxv. 
17.  Cant.  V.  16.  Hos.  iii.  1.  Or  it 
may  denote  will,  thought,  desire.  Ps. 
cxxxix.  2,  17.  A  choice  must  be 
made  between  these  different  mean- 
ings according  to  the  view  entertain- 
ed of  the  scope  of  the  passage.  To 
me  it  seems  that  the  word  '■'■fricvd" 


eth  concerning  it,  the  cattle  also 
concerning  '  the  vapour 

will  better  suit  the  connection  than 
any  one  of  the  other  interpretations 
proposed.  According  to  this,  the 
idea  is,  that  God  points  out  his  friends 
to  the  lightning  which  he  holds  in 
his  hand,  and  bids  it  spare  them. 
He  has  entire  control  of  it,  and  can 
direct  it  where  he  pleases,  and  in- 
stead of  sending  it  forth  to  work  in- 
discriminate destruction,  he  carefully 
designates  those  on  whom  he  wishes 
it  to  strike,  but  bids  it  spare  his 
friends.  IT  The  cattle  aho  concernino- 
the  vapor.  31arg.  that  lohich  goetli 
up.  What  idea  the  translators  at- 
tached to  tliis  phrase  it  is  impossible 
now  to  know,  and  the  probability  is, 
that  being  conscious  of  utter  inability 
to  give  anil  meaning  to  the  passage, 
they  endeavored  to  translate  the 
icords  of  the  original  as  literalh^  as 
possible.  Coverdale  evidently  felt 
the  same  perplexity,  for  he  renders 
it,  "The  rising  up  thereof  showeth 
he  to  his  friends  and  to  the  cattle." 
Indeed  almost  every  translator  and 
expositor  has  had  the  same  difficult}', 
and  each  one  has  proposed  a  version 
of  his  own.  An  examination  of  the 
words  employed  is  the  only  hope  of 
arriving  at  any  satisfactory  view  ot 
the  passage.  The  word  rendered 
ctittle  ('"'.Ih'^),  means  properly,  (1,) 
expectation,  hope,  confidence.  1 
Cliron.  xxix.  15.  Ezra  x.  2;  (2,)  a 
gathering  together,  a  collection,  as 
(a)  of  waters,  Gen.  i.  10.  Ex.  vii.  19, 
(h)  a  gathering  together,  a  collection, 
or  conipany  of  men,  horses,  &c. — a 
caravan.  So  it  maj'  possibly  mean  in 
1  Kings  x.  28,  where  interpreters 
have  greatly  differed.  The  word  cat- 
tle, therefore,  by  no  means  expresses 
its  usual  signification.  That  would 
be  better  expressed  liy  gathering,  col- 
lecting, or  assemhling.  The  word 
rendered  also  (t)X),  denotes  (1,)  also, 
even,  more,  besides,  &c.,  and  (2,)  the 
nose,  and  then  anger — from  the  effect 
of  anger  in  producing  hard  breathing. 
Prov.  xxii.  24.  Dent,  xxxii.  22,  xxix 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


195 


19.  Heie  it  may  be  rendered,  witii- 
oiit  impropriety,  anger,  and  then  the 
phrase  will  mean,  '  the  collecting,  or 
gathering  together  of  anger.'  The 
word  rendered  vapor  (fills' — if  from 
n  j^),  means  that  vvhicji  ascends,  and 
would  then  mean  any  thing  that  as- 
ctMids — a.s  .<moke,  vapor;  or,  as  Rosen- 
millier  supposes,  what  ascends,  or 
irroirs  from  tiie  ground — that  is,  plants 
and  vegetables.  And  so  Umbreit, 
dtis  GeicfJ.chs — "  plants  of  any  kind.  " 
.Xote.  But  with  a  slight  variation  in 
the  pointing  (nbiy_i„stead  oi"rhrj), 
the  word  means  etil,  tcickedness,  ijii- 
fjnitij — whence  our  word  evil;  Job 
.\xiv.  20,  vi.  211,  xi.  14,  xiii.  7;  and  it 
may,  without  impropriety,  be  regard- 
ed as  h-aving  this  signification  here, 
as  the  points  have  no  authority.  The 
meaning  of  the  whole  phrase  then 
will  be,  '  the  gathering,  or  collecting 


of  his  wrath  is  upon  evil,  i.  e.  upon 
the  wicked ;'  and  the  sense  is,  that 
while,  on  the  one  hand  God,  who 
holds  the  lightning  in  his  hands, 
points  out  to  it  liis  friends,  so  that 
they  are  spared  ;  on  the  other  hand- 
the  gathering  together,  or  the  con- 
densation, of  bis  wrath  is  upon  tlie 
evil.  That  is,  the  ligjitniiigs — so 
vivid,  so  mighty,  and  apparently  so 
wholly  beyond  law  or  control,  are 
under  his  direction,  and  lie  makes 
them  the  means  of  executing  his 
pleasure.  His  friends  are  spared ; 
and  the  condensation  of  his  wrath  is 
on  liis  foes.  Tiiis  exposition  of  the 
passage  accords  with  the  general 
scope  of  the  remarks  of  Elihu,  and 
this  view  of  the  manner  in  which 
God  controls  even  the  lightning,  was 
one  that  was  adapted  to  fill  the  mind 
with  exalted  conceptions  of  the  majes- 
ty and  power  of  the  Most  High. 


CHAPTER   XXXVH. 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 


This  chapter  is  a  continuation  of  the  argument  commenced  in  the  previous  chapter  to  demon- 
strate the  majesty  and  glory  of  God.  The  object  is  to  «how  that  his  worl<s  are  past  finding  out. 
and  that  therefore  itbec.mies  man  to  bow  with  submission  under  the  dealings  of  his  hand.  See 
tlie  analysis  of  ch.  xxxvi.  In  the  prosecution  of  this  argument,  Elihu  refers  to  the  followin" 
things  as  illustrating  the  majesty  of  God,  and  as  showing  how  incomprehensibly  wise  he  is' 
To  the  tempest,  or  thunder-storm,  vs.  1-5  ;  to  the  snow  and  rain,  vs.  6-8  ;  to  the  wliirlwind.  the 
cold,  and  to  frost,  vs.  9-13;  to  the  phenomena  of  the  clouds,  vs.  14-16  ;  to  his  own  Garments 
as  imparting  heat  to  the  body,  ver.  17  ;  to  tlie  sky,  spread  out  like  a  molten  looking-glass,  ver. 
18  ;  to  the  bright  light  on  the  clouds,  and  to  the  fair  weather  that  comes  out  of  the  North,  vs. 
21,  2?.  In  view  of  all  this,  he  says  that  he  was  unable  to  t'peak  of  God  in  any  adequate  man- 
ner (vs.  19,  20) ;  that  we  cannot  hope  to  find  him  out,  and  that  we  ought  to  fear  him,  and  to  be- 
lieve that  he  is  wise  and  impartial  in  all  his  doings. 

A  T  this  also  my  heart  tremb-  1  leth,  "  and  is  moved  out  of  his 

a  Da.  10.7,8.  Mat.  28.2-4.  Ac.  16  96-29.     place. 


1.  .It  t/t!s  also.     That  is,  in  view  of  i  ter,  and  should  not  have  been  sepa- 
the  thunder-storm,  for  it  is  that  which    rated  by  the  division  into  chapters. 


Elihu  is  describing.  This  description 
was  commenced  in  ch.  xxxvi.  20,  and 
IS  continued  to  ver.  .5  of  this  chap- 


Eliliu  sees  a  tempest  rising.  Ths 
clouds  gather,  the  lightningH  fla«h, 
the   thunder  rolls,  and  he  is  awe^  as 


196 


JOI5. 


2  Hear  '  attentive]}'  the  noise 
of  his  voice,  and  the  sound  that 
goeth  out  of  his  mouth. 

1  Afar  In  hearing. 
2  light.  3  wings.  b  Ps.  C8.  33. 

with  the  conscious  presence  of  God. 
There  is  nowhere  to  be  found  a  more 
gr.Tphio  and  impressive  description  of 
a  tliunder-storm  than  this.  Comp. 
Herder  on  Heb.  Poetry,  vol.  i.,  85 
seq.,  by  JMarsh,  Burlington,  1833.  If 
My  heart  tremhlcth.  With  fear.  He 
refers  to  the  palpitation  or  increased 
action  of  the  heart  produced  by  alarm. 
U  And  is  moved  out  of  his  place.  That 
is,  by  violent  palpitation.  The  heart 
seems  to  leave  its  calm  resting-place, 
and  to  burst  away  by  atiViglit.  The 
increased  action  of  the  heart  under 
the  eftects  of  fear,  as  described  here 
by  Elihu,  has  been  experienced  by 
all.  The  cause  of  tliis  increased  ac- 
tiou  is  supposed  to  be  this.  The  im- 
mediate effect  of  fear  is  on  the  e.x- 
tremities  of  the  nerves  of  the  system, 
which  are  diffused  over  the  whole 
body.  The  first  effect  is  to  prevent 
the  circulation  of  the  blood  to  the  e.v- 
tremities,  and  to  drive  it  back  to  the 
heart,  and  thus  to  produce  paleness. 
The  blood  thus  driven  b-uck  on  the 
lieart  produces  an  increased  action 
there  to  propel  it  through  the  lungs 
and  the  arteries,  thus  causing  at  the 
same  time  the  increased  effort  of  the 
heart,  and  the  rapid  action  of  the 
lungs,  and  of  course  the  quick  breath- 
ing and  the  palpitation  observed  in 
fear.  See  Sclieutzer,  Physica.  Sacra, 
in  loc.  An  expression  similar  to  that 
which  occurs  here,  is  used  by  Shaks- 
peare,  in  Macbeth  : 

"  Why  do  I  yield  to  that  suggestion, 
Whose  horrid  image  doth  unfix  my  hair, 
.4 .id  make  my  seated  heart  knock  at  my  ribs. 
Against  the  use  of  nature." 

2.  Hear  attentively.  Marg.  as  in 
Heb.  hear  in  hearing;  that  is,  hear 
with  attention.  It  has  been  supposed 
by  many,  and  not  without  probability, 
that  the  tempest  was  already  seen 
rising,  out  of  which  God  was  to  ad- 
dress Job  (ch.  xxxviii.j,  and  that 
F.iihu  here  calls  the  special  attention 


3  He  directoth  it  under  the 
whole  lieaven,  and  Ids  ^lightning 
unto  the  ^  ends  of  the  earth. 

4  After  it  a  voice  '  roareth  : 


of  his  hearers  to  the  gathering  storm, 
and  to  the  low  muttering  thunder  in 
the  distance.  II  The  noise  of  his 
voice.  Thunder  is  often  represented 
as  the  voice  of  God,  and  this  was  one 
of  the  most  natural  of  all  suppositions 
when  its  nature  was  little  understood, 
and  is  at  all  times  a  beautiful  poetic 
conception.  See  the  whole  of  Ps.  xxix 
The  word  rendered  "noise"  ("(•;~'), 
means  properly  co7mnotio7i,t\ud  which 
is  fitted  to  produce  perturbation,  or 
disquiet  (see  ch.  iii.  17,  2(j.  Isa.  xiv. 
3),  and  is  here  used  to  denote  tiie 
commotion,  or  raging  of  thunder.  U 
And  the  sound.  The  word  here  used 
(•^riv!)}  means  properly  a  muttering., 
grojcling — as  of  thunder.  It  is  often 
used  to  denote  sighing,  moaning,  and 
meditation,  in  contradistinction  from 
clear  enunciation.  Here  it  refers  to 
the  thunder  which  seems  to  mutter 
or  growl  in  the  sky. 

3.  He  directeth  it  under  the  whole 
heaven.  It  is  under  the  control  of 
God,  and  he  directs  it  where  he 
pleases.  It  is  not  confined  to  one 
spot,  but  seems  to  be  murmuring 
from  every  part  of  the  heavens.  If 
And  his  lightning.  Marg.  as  in  Heb. 
light.  Tliere  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  lightning  is  intended.  IT  Unto  the 
ends  of  the  earth.  Marg.  as  in  Heb. 
7cings.  The  word  icings  is  given  to 
the  earth,  from  the  idea  of  its  being 
spread  out  or  expanded  like  tlio 
wings  of  a  bird.  Comp.  ch.  xxxviii. 
13.  Ezek.  vii.  2.  The  earth  was 
spoken  of  as  an  expanse  or  plain  that 
had  corners  or  boundaries  (Notes  on 
Isa.  xi.  12,  xxiv.  16,  xlii.  5),  and  the 
meaning  here  is,  that  God  spread  the 
lightning  at  pleasure  over  the  whole 
of  that  vast  expanse. 

4.  After  it  a  voice  roareth.  Aftet 
the  lightning ;  that  is,  the  flash  is 
seen    before    the    thunder    is   heard 

I  This    is    apparent  to  all,   the    inter 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


197 


lie  thundereth  °  with  the  voice 
of  his  excellency  ;  and  he  will 
not  stay  llicni  when  his  voice  is 
heard. 

a  Vs.  29.  3. 

val  bcivveen  llie  liglitning  and  tlie 
lieiiring  of  the  thunder  depending 
•)n  the  distance.  Lucretius,  wlio  lias 
referred  to  the  same  fact,  compares 
this  with  what  occurs  when  a  wood- 
man is  seen  at  a  distance  to  wield  an 
axe.  The  glance  of  the  axe  is  seen 
long  before  the  sound  of  the  blow  is 
heard  : 

Sed  tonitrum  fit,  iiti  post  auribus  accipiamus, 
Fulgtre  quiiin  cciiiuiit  oculi,  quia  semper  ad 

aures 
Tardius  adveniunt,  quam  visum,  quara  move- 

aiit  res. 
Nunc   etiam  licet   id   cognosceie,   ca;dere    si 

quern 
Anci]iiti  videas  ferro  procul  arboris  actum, 
Ante   fit,   ul   ceroas  ictum,   quara   plaga  per 

aures 
Det  sonitum  :  Sic  fulgorem  quoque  ccrnimus 

ante.  Lib.  vi. 

TI  Hp.  thundereth  with  the  voice  of  his 
excellency.  Tliat  is,  with  a  voice  cf 
majesty  and  grandeur.  IT  Jlnd  he  will 
not  stay  them.  That  is,  he  will  not 
hold  back  the  rain,  hail,  j^nd  other 
tilings  which  accompany  the  storm, 
when  he  begins  to  thunder.  Rosen- 
mullcr.  Or,  according  to  others,  he 
will  not  hold  back  and  restrain  the 
lightnings  when  the  thunder  com- 
mences. But  the  connection  seems 
rather  to  demand  that  we  should  un- 
derstand it  of  the  usual  accompani- 
ments of  a  storm — the  wind,  hail, 
rain,  6cc.  Herder  renders  it,  "  We 
cannot  explore  his  thunderings." 
Prof.  Lee,  "  And  none  can  trace 
them,  though  their  voice  be  heard." 
According  to  him,  the  meaning  is, 
that  'great  and  terrific  as  this  exhi- 
bition of  God's  power  is,  still  the 
progress  of  these,  his  ministers,  can- 
not be  followed  by  the  mortal  eye.' 
Dut  the  usual  interpretation  given  to 
the  Hebrew  w'ord  is  that  of  holding 
hack  or  retarding,  and  this  idea  ac- 
cords well  with  the  connection. 

5.  God  thundereth  marvellously. 
He  thunders  in  a  wonderful  manner. 
The    idea   is,  that   the  voice  of  his 


5  God  thundereth  marvellous- 
ly with  his  voice  ;  great  things 
doeth  he,  ''  which  we  cannot 
comprehend. 

b  Kc.  3.  11.  Ro.  II.  33. 


thunder  is  an  amazing  exhibilion  of 
his  majesty  and  power.  If  Gnat 
things  dortk  he,  xchich  we  cannot  com- 
prehend. That  is,  not  only  in  regani 
to  the  thunder  and  the  tempest,  but 
in  other  things.  The  description  of 
the  storm  properly  ends  here,  and  in 
the  subsequent  verses  Eliliu  proceeds 
to  specify  various  other  phenomena, 
which  were  wholly  incomprehensilde 
bv  man.  The  reference  here  to  tiie 
storm,  and  to  the  other  grand  and  in- 
comprehensible phenomena  of  nature, 
is  a  most  appropriate  introduction  to 
the  manifestation  of  God  himself  as 
di^scrilied  in  the  next  chapter,  and 
could  not  but  have  done  much  to  pre- 
pare Job  and  his  friends  for  that  sub- 
lime close  of  the  controversy. 

The  passage  before  us  (ch.  xxxvi. 
29-33,  xxxvii.  1-5),  is  probably  the 
earliest  description  of  a  thunder-storm 
on  record.  A  tempest  is  a  pliemom- 
enon  which  must  early  have  attract- 
ed attention,  and  which  we  may  ex- 
pect to  find  described  or  alluded  to  in 
all  early  poetry.  It  may  be  interest- 
ing, therefore,  to  compare  this  de- 
scription of  a  storm,  in  piobably  the 
oldest  poem  in  the  world,  with  what 
has  been  furnished  by  the  masters  of 
song  in  ancient  and  modern  times, 
and  we  shall  find  that  in  sublimity 
and  beauty  the  Hebrew  poet  will  suf"- 
fer  nothing  in  comparison.  In  one  re- 
spect, which  constitutes  the  chief  sub- 
limity of  the  description,  he  surpasses 
them  all ;  I  mean  in  the  recognition 
of  God.  In  the  Hebrew  description, 
God  is  every  where  in  the  storm.  He 
excites  it;  he  holds  the  lightnings  in 
both  hands  ;  he  directs  it  where  he 
pleases  ;  he  makes  it  the  instrument 
of  his  pleasure,  and  of  executing  his 
purposes.  Sublime,  therefore,  as  is 
the  description  of  the  storm  itself, 
furious  as  is  the  tempest ;  bright  as  is 
the  lightning;  and  heavy  and  awful 
as  is  the  roar  of  the  thunder,  yet  the 


196 


JOB. 


description  derives  its  chief  sublimity 
from  tlie  fuct  that  God  presides  over 
all,  riding  on  the  tempest  and  direct- 
in<r  the  storm  as  lie  jileuses.  Other 
poets  have  rarel}-  attempted  to  give 
this  direction  to  the  thoughts  in  their 
description  of  a  tempest,  if  we  may 
except  Kl-opstock,  and  tliey  fall, 
therefore,  far  below  the  sacred  poet. 
The  following  is  the  description  of  a 
storm  l)y  Eliiiu,  according  to  the  ex- 
position which  I  have  given  : 

Who  can  understand  the  outspreading  of  the 
clouds. 

And  the  foarful  tliunderings  in  liis  pavilion.' 

P)eliol<l,  he  spreadcth  his  light  ujion  it ; 

He  iilso  covercth  the  depths  of  the  sea. 

By  these  ho  executelh  judgment  upon  tlie 
people. 

By  these  ho  giveth  food  ali<o  in  abundance. 

With  his  hands  he  coverethtlie  lightning, 

And  coniinandeth  it  where  to  strike. 

He  pointeth  out  to  itliis  friends — 

The  collecting  of  his  wratii  is  upon  the  wicked. 

At  tills  also  my  heait  palpitates, 

Anil  is  moved  out  of  its  place. 

Hear,  O  hear,  the  thunder  of  his  voice  ! 

The  Hiuttering  thunder  that  g.ies  from  his 
mouth  ! 

He  directcth  it  under  the  whole  heaven, 

And  his  liglnning  to  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

After  it,  the  thunder  roaieth  ; 

He  thundereth  with  the  voice  of  his  majesty, 

And  he  will  not  restrain  the  tempest  when  his 
voice  is  heard. 

God  thunderetii  marvellously  with  his  voice  ; 

He  doeth  wonders,  whicli  we  cannot  compre- 
hend. 

The  following  is  the  description  of  a 
tempest  by  .^schylus,  in  the  Prometh. 
Desra.,  beginning, 

— X6a)v  ccaiiXcvrai' 
Dpv^'ia  6'  ;i%(0  mipai/VKarat 
DpovTtis,  K.r.A. 

"  I  feel  in  very  deed 

The  firm  earth  roclc  :  the  thunder's  deepening 

roar 
Rolls    with    redoubled   rage ;    the    bickering 

flames 
Flash  thick  ;  the  eddying  sands  are  whirled  on 

high  ; 
In  dreadl'ul  opjmsition,  the  wild  winds 
Rend  the  vex'd  air :  the  boisterous  billows  rise, 
Conibunding  earth  and   sky :    the  impetuous 

storm 
Rolls  all  its  terrible  fury."  Potter. 

Ovid's  description  is  the  following  : 

JEOiem  conscendit.  vultumque  sequentia  traxit 
Nubila;    quels   nimbos,    immistaque    fulgura 

venlis 
Addidit,  et  tonitrus,  et  inevitabile  fulmen. 
Meta  iii. 

The  description  of  a  storm  by  Lucre- 
tius, is  the  following : 


Pratcrea    perso'pe    niger    quoque    ,er    mare 

nimbus 
Ut  picis  e  coelodemissumfJumen,  in  undas 
Sic  cadit,  et  fertur  tonebris,  procul  et  truhil 

atrain 
Fulminibus  gravidam  tempestatem,  atque  pro- 

cellis, 
Ignibus  ac  ventis  cum  primus  ipse  repletus : 
In  lerris  quoque   ut  horrescant  ac   tecta    re- 

quirant. 
Sic  igitur  supra  nostrum  caput  esse  putanduni 

est 
Tempestatem   altam.      Nequo   enim  caligino 

tanta 
Ohruenit  terras,  nisi  injedificata  superne 
Multa  forent  multis  exempto  nubila  sole. 

Lib  vi. 
Tlie    well-know    description   of   the 
storm  by  Virgil,  is  as  follows  : 

Nimborum  in  patriam,  loca  foeta  fureiitibua 

austris, 
.(Eoliam  venit.     Ilic  vaste  Rex  .^olus  antro 
Luctantcs  ventos,  teinpestatesque  soiioras 
Imperio  premit,  ac  vinclis  et  carcere  I'renat. 
Uli  indignantes,  magno  cum  murmure,  nionlis 
Circum  claustra  fremunt.     Celsa  sedet  /Eolus 

arce, 
Sceptra   tenens :   mollitque   animos,   et    lem- 

perat  iras. 

Venti,  velut  agmine  facto, 

Qua  data  poita,  ruunt,  et  terras  tuibine  per- 

flant. 
Incubuere  raari,  totumque  a  sedihns  imis, 
Una  Eurus(i ;     Notusquo     ruunt,     crebeique 

piocellis 
Africus,  et  vastos  volvunt  ad  litora  fluctns. 
^En.  i.  51-57,  82-m. 

One  of  tjje  most  sublime  descriptions 
of  a  storm  to  be  found  any  where,  is 
furnished  by  Klopstock.  It  contains 
a  beautiful  recognition  of  the  presence 
and  majesty  of  God,  and  a  most  ten- 
der and  affecting  description  of  the 
protection  which  his  friends  experi- 
ence when  the  storm  rushes  by.  It 
is  in  the  Friililingsfeier — a  poem 
which  is  regarded  by^  many  as  his 
master-piece.  A  small  portion  of  it  I 
will  transcribe  : 
Wolken  striimen  herauf ! 
Sichtbarist  ;  der  kommt,  derEwige  ! 

Nun  schwebensie,  rauschen  sie,  wirde'ndie 
Winde  ! 
Wie  beugt  sich  der  Wald  !  Wie  hebetsich  der 

Strom ! 
Sichtbar,  wie  du  es  Sterblichen  seyn  kannst, 
Ja,  das  hist  du,  sichtbar,  Unendliclier  ! 

Ziirnest  du,  Herr, 
Weil  Nacht  dciii  Gewand  ist  .' 
Diese  Naciit  ist  Segen  der  Erde. 
Vater,du  ziirnest  nicht ! 

Seht  ihr  den  Zeugen  des  Nahen,  den  ziikkcn- 

den  Strahl .' 
Hiiit  ihr  .lehovah's  Donner.' 
Hiiit  ihi  ibn  .'  hiirt  ihr  ihn. 
Der  erschiitlernden  Donner  des  Herrn  .' 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


6  For  he  saitli  to  the  snow, 
Be  thou  0/?.  the  earth  ;  '  likewise 
to  the  siiKill  rain,  and  to  the  great 

1  and  to  the  :>hawc.r  of  rain,  and  to  the  showers  of 
rain  of  his  strength. 

Horrl  Ilorr !  Gott! 

liarinlierizig,  uiiilgnUJig! 

Angebi'ltt,  gepriesen, 

Sey  dcin  lierrlicher  Nama  ! 

Uiid    die     Gewitterwinde!      Sie    tragen   den 

Dormer ! 
Wie  sie  niuschen  !    Wie  eie  niit  lanter  Woge 

den  Wall!  durchstriimen  ! 
ITnd  nun  sc-livviegon  sie.       Langsam  wandelt 
Die  srliwartzo  Wolke. 
Selit  ihr  den  neuen  Zeugen  dea  Nahen,  den 

fliegendcn  Stralil  ? 
Hijret   ilir   hoch   in   Wolke   den   Donner  dos 

Herrn  ? 
Er  ruft:  Jehova  !  Jehova ! 
Und  der  geschinetterte  Wald  dampft ! 
Aber  nicht  unsre  Hiitta  ! 
Unser  Vater  gebot 
Soinem  Verderber, 
Vor  unsrer  Hiitte  voriiberzugelin  ! 

6.  For  he  saitk  to  the  snow.  That 
is,  the  snow  is  produced  by  the  com- 
mand of  God,  and  is  a  proof  of  his 
wisdom  and  greatness.  The  idea  is, 
that  the  formation  of  snow  was  an  il- 
kistration  of  the  wisdom  of  God,  and 
should  teach  men  to  regard  him  with 
reverence.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed 
that  the  laws  by  which  snow  is  form- 
ed in  the  atmosphere,  were  under- 
stood in  the  time  of  Elihu.  The  faot 
that  it  seemed  to  be  the  effect  of  the 
immediate  creation  of  God,  was  tlie 
principal  idea  in  the  mind  of  Elihu 
in  illustrating  his  wisdom.  But  it  is 
not  less  fitted  to  excite  our  admira- 
tion of  his  wisdom  now  that  the  laws 
by  which  it  is  produced  are  better  un- 
derstood ;  and  in  fact  the-  knowledge 
of  those  laws  is  adapted  to  elevate 
our  conceptions  of  the  wisdom  and 
majesty  of  Him  who  formed  them. 
The  investigations  and  discoveries  of 
Bcience  do  not  diminish  the  proofs  of 
the  Creator's  wisdom  and  greatness, 
but  every  new  discovery  tends  to 
change  blind  admiration  to  intelli- 
gent devotion  ;  to  transform  wonder 
to  praise.  On  the  formation  of  snow, 
see  Notes  on  ch.  xxxviii.  22.  IT  Be 
thou  on  the,  earth.  There  is  a  strong 
resemblance    between    this    passage 


ruin  of  his  strength. 

7  He  scaleth  up  the  hand  of 
every  man,  that  "  all  men  may 
know  his  work. 

a  Ps.  109.  27. 

and  the  sublime  command  in  Gen.  i. 
3,  "  And  God  said.  Let  tliere  be  light, 
and  there  was  light."  Eacii  of  them 
is  expressive  of  the  creative  power 
of  God,  and  of  the  ease  with  which 
he  accomplishes  his  purposes.  IT 
Likewise  to  the  small  ruin.  Alarg.  and 
to  the  shower  of  rain,  and  to  the 
shoioers  of  ram  of  his  strength.  The 
word  whicli  is  here  used  in  the  He- 
brew (D'y?),  means  rain,  in  general, 
and  the  phrase  "  small  rain  "  (D^5 
IlilS),  seems  to  be  used  to  denote  the 
rain  simply,  without  reference  to  its 
violence,  or  to  its  being  copious.  The 
following  phrase,  "  the  great  rain  of 
his  strength  "  0>5J  niTJO  D'l:!),  re- 
fers to  the  rain  when  it  has  increased 
to  a  copious  shower.  The  idea  before 
the  mind  of  Elihu  seems  to  have 
been  that  of  a  shower,  as  it  com- 
mences and  increases  until  it  pours 
down  torrents,  and  the  meaning  is, 
that  alike  in  the  one  case  and  the 
other,  the  rain  was  under  the  com- 
mand of  God,  and  obeyed  his  will. 
The  whole  description  here  is  that 
which  pertains  to  winter,  and  Elihu 
refers  doubtless  to  the  copious  rains 
which  fell  at  that  season  of  the  year. 
7.  He  sealeth  up  the  hand  of  every 
man.  That  is,  in  the  winter,  when 
the  snow  is  on  the  ground,  when  the 
streams  are  frozen,  and  when  the 
labors  of  the  husbandman  cease.  The 
idea  of  "  sealing  up  the  hand"'  is  de- 
rived from  the  common  purpose  of  a 
seal,  to  make  fast,  to  close  up,  to  se- 
cure (comp.  Notesch.  ix.  7,  xxxiii.  16), 
and  the  sense  is,  that  the  hands  can  no 
more  be  used  in  ordinary  toil.  Every 
man  in  the  snow  and  rain  of  winter 
is  prevented  fro-m  going  abroad  to  hia 
accustomed  toil,  and  is,  as  it  were, 
sealed  %ip  in  his  dwelling.  The  idea 
is  exquisitely  beautiful.  God  con- 
fines men  and  beasts  in  their  houses 


200 


JOB. 


8  Then  the   beasts   go  "  into 
dens,  and  remain  in  their  places. 

a  Ps  104.22.     1  chamber.    2  scattering  \v\n(]s. 

or  caves,  until  the  winter  has  passed 
by.  If  That  all  incn  viaij  know  his 
irork.  Tlie  LXX  render  this,  "  Tliat 
every  man  may  know  liis  own  weak- 
ness— chx^h'^inr.  Various  interpre- 
tations liuve  been  given  of  the  pas- 
sage, but  our  common  version  has 
probably  expressed  in  the  main  the 
true  sense,  that  God  thus  interrupts 
the  labors  of  man,  and  confines  him 
in  his  home,  that  he  may  feel  his  de- 
pendence on  God,  and  may  recognize 
tlie  constant  agency  of  his  Creator. 
The  Hebrew  literally  is,  "For  the 
knowledge  of  all  the  men  of  his 
making;"  that  is,  that  all  the  men 
\vliom  he  has  created  may  have  know- 
ledge. The  changing  seasons  thus 
keep  before  us  the  constant  evidence 
ofthe  unceasing  agency  of  God  in  his 
W(jrks,  and  prevent  the  feeling  which 
wo  might  have,  if  every  thing  was 
uniform,  that  the  universe  was  under 
the  control  of  fate.  As  it  is,  the  suc- 
lession  of  the  seasons,  the  snow,  the 
rain,  the  dew,  and  the  sunshine,  all 
i;ear  marks  of  being  under  the  con- 
Irol  of  an  intelligent  Being,  and  are 
■SO  regulated  that  we  need  not  forget 
that  his  unceasing  agency  is  con- 
slantly  round  about  us.  It  may  be 
added,  that  when  the  farmer  in  the 
winter  is  laid  aside  from  his  usual 
toil,  and  confined  to  his  dwelling, 
it  is  a  favorable  time  for  him  to 
meditate  on  the  works  of  God,  and 
to  acquaint  himself  with  his  Creator. 
The  labors  of  man  are  thus  inter- 
rupted ;  the  busy  affairs  of  life  come 
to  a  pause,  and  wiiile  nature  is  silent 
around  us,  and  the  earth  wrapped 
in  her  fleecy  mantle  forbids  the  labor 
of  the  husbandman,  every  thing  in- 
vites to  the  contemplation  of  the 
Creator,  and  of  the  works  of  his 
hands.  The  winter,  therefore,  might 
be  improved  by  every  farmer  to  en- 
large his  knowledge  of  God,  and 
should  be  regarded  as  a  season  wisely 
appointed  for  him  to  cultivate  his  un- 
derstanding and  improve  his  heart. 


9  Out  of  the  '  south  Cometh 
the  whirlwind  ;  and  cold  out  of 
the  '^  north. 


8.  Tkf.n  the  bea.tts  go  into  dens.  In 
the  winter.  This  fact  appears  to  have 
been  early  observed,  that  in  the 
season  of  cold  the  wild  aniinais  wit'i- 
drew  into  caves,  and  that  many  of 
them  became  torpid.  This  fact  Elihu 
adverts  to  as  an  illustration  of  the 
wisdom  and  greatness  of  God.  The 
proof  of  his  superintending  care  was 
seen  m  the  fact  tliat  they  withdrew 
from  the  cold  in  which  they  would 
perish,  and  that  provision  is  made  for 
their  continuance  in  life  at  a  time 
when  they  cannot  obtain  the  food  by 
which  they  ordinarily  subsist.  In 
that  torpid  and  inactive  state,  they 
need  little  food,  and  remain  often  for 
months  with  almost  no  nourishment. 

9.  Out  of  the  south.  Marg.  chainbcr. 
Jerome,  ab  interiorihus — from  the  in- 
terior, or  inner  places.  Sept.  'En 
jaufCon' — from  their  chambers  issue 
sorroiDS — 6&-v>'ctq.  The  Hebrew  word 
here  used  ("^"ID)  denotes  properly  an 
apartment,  or  chamber,  especially  an 
inner  apartment,  or  a  chamber  in 
the  interior  of  a  house  or  tent.  Gen. 
xliii.  30.  Judges  xvi.  9,12.  Hence  it 
means  a  bed-chamber,  2  Sam.  iv.  7, 
or  a  female  apartment  or  harem.  Cant, 
i.  4,  iii.  4.  In  ch.ix.  9,  it  is  connect- 
ed with  the  south — '  the  chambers  of 
the  south  '  (see  Notes  on  that  place), 
and  means  some  remote,  hidden  re- 
gions in  that  quarter.  There  can  be 
little  doubt  that  the  word  "  south  "  is 
here  also  to  be  understood,  as  it  stands 
in  contrast  witfi  a  word  which  prop- 
erly denotes  the  north.  Still  there 
may  have  been  reference  to  a  sup- 
posed opinion  that  whirlwinds  had 
their  origin  in  deep,  hollow  caves, 
and  that  they  were  owing  to  the 
winds  which  were  supposed  to  be 
pent  up  there,  and  which  raged  tu- 
multuously  until  they  broke  open  the 
doors  of  their  prison,  and  then  poured 
forth  with  violence  over  the  earth. 
Conip.  the  description  of  the  storm  in 
Virgil,  as   quoted  above,   in    ver.  5. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


201 


10  By  the  breath  of  God  frost 
"  is  given  ;  and  the  breadth  of 
the  waters  is  straitened. 

a  Ps.  147.  17,  18. 

Tliere  are  frequent  allusions  in  the 
Scriptures  to  tliefact  that  whirlwinds 
come  iVoin  the  .South.  See  Notes  on 
Isa.  x,\i.  1.  Conip.  Zech.  ix.  14. 
Savary  says  of  the  south  wind,  which 
lilows  in  ligypt  from  February  to 
May,  that  it  lillsthe  atmosphere  with 
a  hue  dust,  rendering  hreailiing  diffi- 
cult, and  that  it  is  filled  with  an  inju- 
rious vapor.  Sometimes  it  appears  in 
the  form  of  a  furious  whirlwind, 
which  advances  with  great  rapidity, 
and  which  is  highly  dangerous  to  those 
who  traverse  the  desert.  It  drives 
before  it  clouds  of  burning  sand  ;  the 
horizon  appears  covered  with  a  thick 
veil,  and  the  sun  appears  red  as  blood. 
Occasionally  whole  caravans  are 
buried  by  it  in  the  sand.  It  is  possi- 
ble that  tliere  may  be  reference  to 
such  a  whirlwind  in  the  passage  be- 
fore us.  Comp.  Burder,  in  Rosen- 
milller's  Alte  u.  neue  Morgenland, 
No.  765.  IT  The  lohirlwiml.  See 
Notes  on  ch.  i.  19,  xxx.  22.  IT  And 
cold  out  of  the  north.  Marg.  scatter- 
ing winds.  The  Hebrew  word  here 
used  (j'^'lTTS)  nieans  literally,  the 
scattering,  and-  is  hence  used  tor  the 
north  winds,  says  Gesenius,  which 
scatter  the  clouds,  and  bring  severe 
cold.  Umbreit  thinks  the  word  is 
Used  to  denote  the  nortii,  because  we 
seem  to  see  the  north  winds  strewed 
on  the  clouds.  Probably  the  refer- 
ence is  to  the  north  svind  as  scatter- 
ing the  snow  or  hail  on  the  ground. 
Heated  winds  come  from  the  south  ; 
but  those  which  scatter  the  snow, 
and  are  tiie  source  of  cold,  come  from 
the  north.  In  all  places  north  of  the 
equator  it  is  true  that  the  winds  from 
the'northern  quarter  are  the  source  of 
cold.  The  idea  of  Elihu  is,  that  all 
these  things  are  under  the  control  of 
God,  and  that  these  various  arrange- 
ments for  heat  and  cold  are  striking 
proofs  of  his  greatness. 

10.  By  the  breath  of  God  frost  is 


1 1  Also  by  watering  he  wea- 
riclh  the  thick  cloud  ;  he  scatter- 
eth  '  his  bright  cloud, 


1  the  cloud  of  his  light. 


given.  Not  by  the  violent  north 
wind,  or  by  the  whirlwind  of  the 
south,  but  God  seems  to  breathe  in 
a  gentle  manner,  and  the  earth  is 
covered  with  hoary  frost.  It  .'ippcars 
in  a  still  night,  when  there  is  no  storm 
or  tempest,  and  descends  upon  the 
earth  as  silently  as  if  it  were  pro- 
duced by  mere  breathing.  Frost  is 
congealed  or  frozen  dew.  On  the 
formation  and  cause  of  dew,  see 
Notes  on  ch.  xxxviii.28.  The  figure 
is  poetical  and  beautiful.  The  slight 
motion  of  the  air,  even  when  the 
frost  appears,  seems  to  be  caused  by 
the  breathing  of  God.  TI  And  the 
breadth  of  the  icatcrs  is  straitened. 
That  is,  is  contracted  by  the  cold ;  or 
is  frozen  over.  The  waters  are  com- 
pressed into  a  solid  mass  (p^'l^S), 
or  are  in  a  state  of  pressure  or  com- 
pression— for  so  the  word  here  used 
means.  What  were  before  expanded 
rivers  or  arms  of  the  sea,  are  now 
compressed  into  solid  masses  of  ice. 
This,  also,  is  proof  of  the  greatness 
and  power  of  God,  for  though  the 
cause  was  not  understood  by  Elihu, 
yet  there  was  no  doubt  that  it  was 
produced  by  his  agency.  Though 
the  hncs  by  which  this  occurs  are 
now  better  understood  than  they  were 
then,  it  is  no  less  clearly  seen  that  it 
is  by  his  agency  ;  and  all  the  light 
which  we  obtain  in  regard  to  the 
laws  by  which  these  tilings  occur, 
only  serve  to  e.xalt  our  conceptions  of 
the  wisdom  and  greatness  of  God. 

11.  Jllso  by  watering.  Very  various 
interpretations  have  been  given  of 
this  phrase.  Herder  renders  it,  "His 
brightness  rendeth  the  clouds."  Um 
breit,  Und  Heiterkeit  vertreibt  die 
Wolke — "  and  serenity  or  clearness 
drives  away  tlie  clouds."  Prof.  Lee, 
"  For  irrigation  is  the  thick  cloud 
stretched  out."  Rosesimilller,  "  Splen- 
dor dispels  the  clouds."  Luther, 
"  The  thick  clouds  divide  themselves 


202 


JOB. 


12  And    it    is    turned    round 
about  by  his  counsels  ;  that  they 

a  Ps.  148.  8. 

that  it  may  be  clear."  •  Coverdale, 
"  Tlie  clouds  do  their  labor  in  giving 
moistness."  The  Vulgate,  "  The 
grain  desires  the  clouds,"  and  the 
LXX,  "  The  cloud  forms  the  chosen" 
— iy.ley.Tor.  Tiiis  variety  of  inter- 
pretation arises  from  the  uncertainly 
of  the  meaning  of  the  original  word 
— "^TS  .  According  to  the  Chaldee 
and  the  Rabbins,  this  word  means 
clearness,  serenity  of  the  Jieavens, 
and  then  the  whole  clause  is  to 
be  rendered,  '  serenity  dispelleth 
the  cloud.'  Or  the  word  may  be 
formed  of  the  preposition  3  Beth,  and 
'^^  Ri,  meaning  icatering  or  rain, 
the  same  as  "'']'l  Revi.  The  word 
does  not  occur  elsewhere  in  Hebrew, 
and  hence  it  is  not  easy  to  determine 
its  meaning.  The  weight  of  authority 
is  in  iavor  of  serenitij,  or  eJearness 
— meaning  that  the  thick,  dark  cloud 
IS  driven  away  by  the  scrcnitij  or 
clearness  of  til e  atmosphere — as  where 
the  clear  sky  seems  to  light  up  the 
heavens  and  to  drive  away  the  clouds. 
This  idea  seems,  also,  to  be  demand- 
ed by  the  parallelism,  and  is  also 
more  poetical  than  tiiat  in  the  com- 
mon version.  IT  Weuricth.  Or  re- 
moves, or  scatters.  The  verb  here 
used  C^"^^")  occurs  nowhere  else  in 
the  Scriptures,  though  nouns  derived 
from  the  verb  are  found  in  Isa.  i.  14, 
rendered  trouble,  and  Deut.  i.  12,  ren- 
dered cumbrance.  In  Arabic  it  means 
to  cast  down,  to  project,  and  hence  to 
lay  upon  as  a  burden.  But  tlie  word 
may  mean  to  inijjel,  drive  forward, 
and  hence  the  idea  that  tlie  dark 
thick  cloud  is  propelled  or  driven 
forward  by  the  serenity  of  the  sky. 
This  appears  to  be  so,  and  lience  the 
poetic  idea  as  it  occurred  to  Elihu. 
ir  He  scuttcreth  his  bright  cloud. 
Marg.  the  cloud  of  his  light.  The 
idea  seems  to  be,  tiiat  "  liis  light," 
that  is,  the  liglit  which  God  causes  to 
ghine  as  the  tempest  passes  oft",  seetns 


may  do  °  whatsoever  he  com- 
mandeth  them  upon  the  face  of 
the  world  in  the  earth. 

to  scatter  or  disperse  the  cloud.  The 
image  before  the  mind  of  Elihu  prob- 
ably was,  that  of  a  departing  shower, 
when  the  light  seems  to  rise  behind 
it,  and  as  it  were  to  expel  the  cloud 
or  to  drive  it  away.  We  are  not  to 
suppose  that  this  is  philosophically 
correct,  but  Elihu  represents  it  as  it 
appeared,  and  the  image  is  wholly 
poetical. 

12.  And  it  is  turned  round  about. 
The  v.-ord  here  rendered  "  it  "  {i<^^), 
may  refer  either  to  the  cloud,  and  then 
it  will  mean  that  it  is  driven  about  at 
the  pleasure  of  God  ;  or  it  may  refer 
to  God,  and  then  it  will  mean  that  he 
drives  it  about  at  pleasure  The 
sense  is  not  materially  varied.  The 
use  of  the  Hebrew  participle  render- 
ed "  turned  about  "  (in  Hilhpael), 
would  rather  imply  that  it  refers  to 
the  cloud  The  sense  then  is,  that  it 
turns  itself  round  about — referring  to 
tiie  appearance  of  a  cloud  in  the  sky 
that  rolls  itself  about  from  one  place 
to  another.  TI  Bij  his  comisels.  By 
the  counsels  or  purposes  of  God.  It 
is  not  by  any  agency  or  power  of  its 
own,  but  it  is  by  laws  such  as  he  has 
appointed,  and  so  as  to  accomplish 
his  will.  Tht  object  is  to  keep  up 
the  idea  that  God  presides  over,  and 
directs  all  tliese  things.  The  word 
wliich  is  rendered  counsels  (rlPIStlPi) 
means  properly  a  steering,  guidance, 
management,  Prov  xi.  14.  It  is 
usually  applied  to  the  art  of  steering, 
as  a  vessel,  and  then  to  prudent  man- 
agement, wise  counsel,  skilful  mea- 
sures. It  is  rendered  wise  counsels, 
and  cou7ise!s,  Prov.  i.  5,  si.  14,  xii.  5, 
xxiv.  6,  and  good  advice,  Prov.  xx. 
IS.  It  does  not  elsewhere  occur  in 
the  Scriptures.  The  word  is  derived 
from  -^^f] — hhebel,  a  rope,  or  >2n — 
hhohil,  a  sailor,  pilot,  and  hence  the 
idea  of  steering,  or  directing.  The 
meaning  is,  that  the  movements  of 
the  clouds  are  entirely  under  the 
direction  of  God,  as  tlie  vessel  is  of 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


803 


13  He  causetli  it  to  come, 
whether  '  for  correction,  "  or  for 
his  land,  ''  or  for  mercy. " 

14  Hearken  unto  this,  O  Job  : 


1   a  rod. 
lv>.  18.     Ez.  10.  9. 


.he  pilot  or  lielmsman.  The  LXX 
appear  not  to  Jiave  understood  tlie 
nieaning  of  the  word,  and  have  not 
allt-nipted  to  translate  it.  The_v  re- 
tain it  in  their  version,  writing  it, 
&iiii()v}.a(yw{>,  siiowing,  among  other 
instances,  how  the  Hebrew  wws  pro- 
nounced by  them.  U  That  thcij  mu.ij 
do  ichatsocvcr  he  ccinvuuuhth  them. 
See  Ps.  cxlvii.  17,  18.  The  idea  is, 
tiiat  even  the  clouds^  which  appear  so 
capricious  in  their  moveinetits,  are 
really  under  the  direction  ot"  God, 
and  are  accomplishing  his  purposes. 
They  do  not  move  at  hap-hazard,  Uut 
they  are  under  the  control  of  pne 
who  intends  to  accomplish  iniportant 
purposes  by  them.  Elihu  had  made 
this  observation  respecting  tlie  light- 
ning (ch.  x.xxvi.  31-33),  and  he  now 
says  that  the  same  thing  was  true  of 
the  clouds.  The  investigations  of 
science  have  only  served  to  confirm 
this,  and  to  show  that  even  the  move- 
ments of  the  clouds  are  regulated  by 
laws  which  have  been  ordained  by  a 
Being  of  infinite  intelligence. 

13.  He  causcth  it  to  come.  That  is, 
the  rain,  or  the  storm.  It  is  entirely 
under  the  hand  of  God,  like  the 
Ijglitning  (ch.  xxxvi.  31),  and  design- 
ed to  accomplish  his  purposes  of 
mercy  and  of  justice.  H  Whcthei-  for 
correction.  Marg.  as  in  Heb.  a  rod. 
The  rod  is  often  used  as  an  emblem 
of  punishment.  The  idea  is,  that 
God,  when  lie  pleases,  can  send  the 
rain  upon  the  earth  fur  the  purpose  of 
executing  punishment.  So  he  did  on 
the  old  world  (Gen.  vii.  11,  12),  and 
60  tiie  overflowing  flood  is  often  now 
sent  to  sweep  away  the  works  of 
man,  to  lay  waste  his  fields,  and  to 
cut  off"  the  wicked.  U  Or  for  his  land. 
When  necessary  to  render  the  land 
productive.  He  waters  it  by  timely 
rains      It  is  called  "  his  land,"  mean- 


stand  still,  and  consider  the 
wondrous  works  of  God. 

15  Dost  thou  know  when  God 
disposed  them,  and  caused  the 
light  of  his  cloud  to  shine  ? 

b  1  Ki.  18.  45.  c  Joel  2.  23. 

ing  that  the  earth  belongs  to  the 
Lord,  and  that  he  cultivates  it  as  his 
own.  Ps.  xxiv.  1.  U  Or  for  mercy. 
In  kindness  and  benignity  to  the 
world.  But  for  this,  tiie  earth  would 
become  baked  and  parched,  and  all 
vegetation  would  expire.  The  idea 
is,  that  tiie  rains  are  entirely  under 
the  control  of  God,  and  that  he  can 
make  use  of  them  to  accomplish  his 
various  purposes — to  execute  his 
judgments,  or  to  express  his  benignity 
and  love.  These  various  uses  to 
which  the  lightning,  the  storm,  and 
the  rain  could  be  made  subservient 
under  the  divine  direction,  seem  to 
have  been  one  of  the  main  ideas  in 
the  mind  of  Elihu,  showing  tiie 
supremacy  and  the  majesty  of  God. 

14.  Hearken  unto  t/iis,  O  Job.  That 
is,  to  the  lesson  which  such  events  are 
fitted  to  convey  respecting  God.  H 
Stand  still.  In  a  posture  of  reverence 
and  attention.  The  object  is  to  secure 
a  calm  contemplation  of  the  works  of 
God,  so  that  the  mind  might  be  filled 
with  suitable  reverence  for  him. 

15.  Dust  thou  know  when  God  dis- 
posed them?  That  is,  the  winds, 
the  clouds,  the  cold,  the  snow,  the 
sky,  &c.  Tlie  question  refers  to  the 
manner  in  which  God  arranges  and 
governs  them,  rather  than  to  the 
time  when  it  was  done.  So  the  He- 
brew implies,  and  so  the  connection 
demands.  The  question  was  not 
whether  Job  knew  ichcn  all  this  was 
done,  but  whether  he  could  explain 
hoic  it  was  that  God  thus  arranged  and 
ordered  the  things  referred  to.  Elihu 
asks  him  whetlier  lie -could  explain 
the  manner  in  which  the  balancings 
of  the  clouds  were  preserved ;  in 
which  tlie  lightnings  we^e  directed ; 
in  which  his  garments  were  warm, 
and  in  which  God  had  made  and  sus- 
tained the  sky.'     The  LXX  render 


JOB. 


16  Dost  thou  know  the   bal- 
ancings of  the  clouds,  the  won- 

this,  "  We  know  that  God  hath  dis- 
])Osed  his  works — that  he  hath  made 
light  out  of  darkness."  IT  Jlnd  caused 
the  light  of  his  cloud  to  shine.  Tliat 
is,  Canst  thou  explain  tlie  cause  of 
lightning  .''  Canst  thou  tell  iiow  it  is 
that  it  seems  to  break  out  of  a  dark 
cloud  .''  Where  has  it  been  concealed  .'' 
And  by  what  laws  is  it  now  brought 
forth.'  Elihu  assumes  that  all  this 
was  done  by  the  agency  of  God,  and 
since,  as  he  assumes  to  be  true,  it 
was  impossible  for  men  to  explain 
the  manner  in  which  it  was  done,  his 
object  is  to  show  that  profound  vene- 
ration should  be  shown  for  a  God 
who  works  in  this  manner.  Some- 
what more  is  known  now  of  the 
laws  by  wjiich  lightning  is  produced 
tiian  there  was  in  the  time  of  Job; 
but  the  question  may  still  be  asked 
of  man,  and  is  as  much  fitted  to 
produce  awe  and  veneration  as  it  was 
tlien,  whether  he  understands  the 
way  in  which  God  produces  the 
bright  lightning  from  the  dark  bosom 
of  a  cloud.  Can  he  tell  what  is  the 
exact  agency  of  the  ]\lost  High  in  it.' 
Can  he  explain  all  the  laws  by  which 
it  is  done  ? 

16.  Dost  thou  know  the  balancings 
of  the  clouds?  That  is,  Dost  thou 
know  how  the  clouds  are  poised  and 
suspended  in  the  air  ?  The  difHculty 
to  be  explained  was,  that  the  clouds, 
so  full  of  water,  did  not  fall  to  the 
earth,  but  remained  suspended  in  the 
atmosphere.  They  were  poised  and 
Tnoved  about  by  some  unseen  hand. 
Klihu  asks  what  kept  them  there ; 
^vhat  prevented  their  falling  to  the 
earth  ;  what  preserved  the  equili- 
brium so  that  the)- did  not  all  roll  to- 
gether. The  phenomena  of  the  clouds 
would  be  among  the  first  that  would 
attract  the  attention  of  man,  and  in 
the  early  times  of  Job  it  is  not  to  be 
supposed  that  the  subject  could  be  ex- 
jilained.  Elihu  assumes  that  they 
were  held  in  the  sky  by  the  power  of 
(iod,  but  what  was  the  nature  of  his 
agency,  he  says,  man  could  not  un- 


drous  works  of  him  which  is  per- 
fect in  knowledge  ? 

derstand,  and  hence  he  infers  that 
God  should  be  regarded  with  pro- 
found veneration.  /Fe  know  more  of 
the  facts  and  laws  respecting  the 
clouds  than  was  understood  then,  but 
our  knowledge  in  this,  as  in  all  other 
things,  is  fitted  only  to  exalt  our  con- 
ceptions of  the  Deity,  and  to  change 
blind  wonder  into  intelligent  adora- 
tion. The  causes  of  the  suspension 
of  the  clouds  are  thus  stated  in  the 
Edinburgh  Encyclopedia,  Art.  Me- 
teorology :  "  When  different  portions 
of  the  atmosphere  are  intermixed  so 
as  to  produce  a  deposition  of  moist- 
ure" (comp.  Notes  on  cli.  xxxviii. 
28),  "the  consequence  will  be  the 
formation  of  a  cloud.  This  cloud, 
from  its  increased  specific  gravit}', 
will  have  a  tendency  to  sink  down- 
wards ;  and  were  the  lower  strata  ol 
the  air  of  the  same  temperature  with 
the  cloud,  and  saturated  with  moist- 
ure, it  would  continue  to  descend  till 
it  reached  the  surface  of  the  earth — 
in  the  form  of  rain,  or  what  is  com- 
monly called  mist.  In  general,  how- 
ever, the  cloud  in  its  descent  passes 
through  a  warmer  region,  when  the 
condensed  moisture  again  passes  into 
a  vapor,  and  consequently  ascentis 
till  it  reaches  a  temperature  sufficient- 
ly low  to  recondense  it,  when  it  will 
begin  again  to  sink.  Thisoscillatiofi 
will  continue  till  the  cloud  settles  a^ 
the  point  where  the  temperature  and. 
humidity  are  such  as  that  the  con 
densed  moisture  begins  to  be  dissi- 
pated, and  which  is  found  on  an 
average  to  be  between  two  and  thref 
miles  above  the  surface  of  the  earth.' 
By  such  laws  the  '  balancing'  of  the 
clouds  is  secured,  and  thus  is  shown 
the  wisdom  of  Him  that  is  "  perfect 
in  knowledge.''  H  The  icjndroiis 
worlis  of  him  that  is  peifect  in  knoic- 
ledge.  Particularly  in  the  matter  un- 
der consideration.  He  who  can  com 
mand  the  lightning,  and  hold  the 
clouds  suspended  in  the  air,  Elihu 
infers  must  be  perfect  in  knowledge. 
To  a  Being  who  can  do  this,  everj 


17  How  thy  garments  arc 
warm,  when  he  quieteth  the  earth 
by  the  south  wind  1 


CHAPTER  XXXVH.  205 

18  Hast  thou  with  him  spread 
"  out  the  sky,  which  is  strong, 
and  as  a  molten  looking-glass  ? 

a  Isa.  40.22,44.  24. 


thing  must  be  known.  The  reason- 
ing of  Elihu  here  is  well-founded, 
and  is  not  less  forcible  now  than  it 
was  in  the  time  of  Job. 

17.  Ilotn  lliij  garments  are  icarm. 
AV'hat  is  the  reason  that  the  garments 
which  we  wear  produce  warmth.'' 
This,  it  would  seem,  was  one  of  the 
])hilosophical  questions  which  were 
asked  at  tliat  lime,  and  which  it  was 
dilficult  to  exjilaiu.  Perhaps  it  has 
never  occurred  to  most  persons  to  ask 
this  apparently  simple  question,  and 
if  the  inquiry  were  proposed  to  tliem, 
jdain  as  it  seems  to  be,  they  would 
find  it  as  difficult  to  give  an  answer 
as  Elihu  supposed  it  would  be  for  Job. 
Of  the  fact  here  referred  to  that  the 
garments  became  oppressive  when  a 
sultry  wind  came  from  the  south, 
there  could  be  no  dispute.  But 
what  was  the  precise  difficulty  in  ex- 
plaining the  fact,  is  not  so  clear. 
.Some  suppose  that  Elihu  asks  this 
question  sarcastically,  as  meaning 
that  Job  could  not  explain  the  sim- 
plest matters  and  the  plainest  facts  ; 
but  there  is  every  reason  to  think 
tliat  the  question  was  proposed  with 
entire  seriousness,  and  that  it  was 
supposed  to  involve  real  difficulty. 
It  seems  probable  that  tiie  difficulty 
was  not  so  much  to  explain  wliy  the 
v-arments  should  become  oppressive 
in  a  burning  or  sultry  atmosphere,  as 
to  show  how  the  heated  air  itself  was 
produced.  It  was  difficult  to  explain 
why  cold  came  out  of  the  north 
(ver.  9)  ;  how  the  clouds  were  sus- 
pended, and  the  lightnings  caused 
(vs.  11,  1.5,  16)  ;  and  it  was  not  less 
diflicult  to  show  what  produced  un- 
f  1)111  fortable  heat  when  the  storms 
from  the  north  were  allayed  ;  when 
the  earth  became  quiet,  and  when  the 
breezes  blowed  from  the  south.  This 
would  be  a  fair  question  for  investi- 
gation, and  we  may  readily  suppose 
that  the  causes  then  were  not  fully 
known,  Tl  When  he  quieteth  the  earth. 


When  the  piercing  blast  from  the 
north  dies  away,  and  the  wind  comes 
round  to  the  south,  producing  a  more 
gentle,  but  a  sultry  air.  It  was  true 
not  only  that  the  whirlwind  came 
from  the  south  (ver.  9),  but  also  that 
the  heated  burning  air  came  also  from 
tliat  quarter.  Lukexii.55.  WeXmow 
the  reason  to  be  that  the  equatorial 
regions  are  warmer  than  those  at  the 
north,  and  especially  that  in  the  re- 
gions where  Job  lived  the  air  be- 
comes lieated  by  passing  over  extend- 
ed plains  of  sand,  but  there  is  no 
reason  to  suppose  that  this  was  fully 
understood  at  the  time  referred  to 
here. 

18.  Hast  thou  with  him  spread  out 
the  sinj  ?  That  is,  wert  thou  employ- 
ed with  God  in  performing  that  vast 
work,  that  thou  canst  explain  how  it 
was  done.''  Elihu  here  speaks  of  the 
sky  as  it  appears^  and  as  it  is  often 
spoken  of,  as  an  expanse  or  solid  body 
spread  out  over  our  heads,  and  as 
sustained  by  some  cause  which  is  un- 
known. Sometimes  in  the  Scriptures 
it  is  spoken  of  as  a  curtain  (Notes 
Isa.  xl.  22)  ;  sometimes  as  a  "  firma- 
ment," or  a  solid  body  spread  out 
(Sept.  Gen.  i  6,  7)  ;  sometimes  as  a 
fixture  in  which  the  stars  are  placed 
(Notes  Isa.  xxxiv.  4),  and  sometimes 
a.s  a  scroll  that  may  be  rolled  up,  or 
as  a  garment,  Ps.  cii.  26.  There  is 
no  reason  to  suppose  that  the  true 
cause  of  the  appearance  of  an  ex- 
panse was  understood  at  that  time, 
l)ut  probably  the  prevailing  impres- 
sion was  that  the  sky  was  solid,  and 
was  a  fixture  in  which  the  stars  were 
lield.  Many  of  the  ancients  sup- 
posed that  there  were  concentric 
spheres,  which  were  transparent  but 
solid,  and  that  these  spheres  revolved 
around  the  earth  carrying  the  heaven- 
ly bodies  with  them.  In  one  of 
these  spheres,  they  supposed,  was  tJie 
sun  ;  in  another  the  moon  ;  in  another 
the  fixed  stars  ;  in  another  the  pi  n- 


206 


JOB. 


19  Teach  us  what  we  shall 
say  unto  him  :  for  we  cannot 
order   our  speech   by   reason  of 

darkness. 

ets  ;  and  it  was  the  liarmonious  move- 
ment of  tliese  concentric  and  trans- 
parent orbs  which  it  was  supposed 
produced  the  '  music  of  the  spheres.' 
I!^  Wliich  is  strong.  Firm,  compact. 
Elihu  evidently  supposed  that  it  was 
solid.  It  was  so  firm  that  it  was  self- 
sustained.  IT  And  as  a  moJtcn  look- 
ing-glass. As  a  mirror  that  is  made 
by  being  fused  or  cast.  The  word 
"  glass"  is  not  in  the  original,  the 
Hebrew  denoting  simply  seeing.,  or  a 
mirror  C^^l).  Mirrors  were  com- 
monly made  of  plates  of  metal  highly 
polished.  See  Notes  on  Isa.  iii.  24. 
Comp.  Wilkinson's  Manners  and 
Customs  of  the  Ancient  Egyptians, 
vol.  iii.  p.  365.  Ancient  mirrors 
were  so  highly  polished  that  in  some 
which  have  been  discovered  at 
Thebes  the  lustre  has  been  partially 
restored,  though  they  have  been 
buried  for  manj'  centuries.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  early  appre- 
hension in  regard  to  the  sky  was, 
that  it  was  a  solid  expanse,  and  that 
it  is  often  so  spoken  of  in  the  Bible. 
Tliere  is,  however,  no  direct  declara- 
tion that  it  is  so,  and  wJienever  it  is 
so  spoken  of  it  is  to  be  understood  as 
jjopular  language,  as  we  speak  still  of 
the  rising  or  setting  of  the  sun, 
thougli  we  know  that  the  language  is 
not  philosophically  correct.  The 
design  of  the  Bible  is  not  to  teach 
science,  but  religion,  and  the  speakers 
in  the  Bible  were  allowed  to  use  the 
language  of  common  life — just  as 
scientific  men  in  fact  do  now. 

19.  Teach  us  ichat  ice  shall  say  unto 
him.  This  seems  to  be  addressed  to 
Job.  It  is  the  language  of  Elihu, 
implying  that  he  was  overawed  with 
a  sense  of  the  majesty  and  glory  of 
such  a  God.  He  knew  not  in  what 
manner,  or  with  what  words  to  ap- 
proach such  a  Being,  and  he  asks  Job 
to  inform  him,  if  he  knew.  U  We 
cannot  order  our  speech  by  reason  of 


20  Shall  it  be  told  him  that  I 
speak  1  If  a  man  speak,  surely 
he  shall  be  swallowed  up. 


darkness.  Job  had  repeatedly  pro- 
fessed a  desire  to  bring  his  cause 
directly  before  God,  and  to  argue  it 
in  his  presence.  He  felt  assured  that 
if  he  could  do  that,  he  should  be  able 
so  to  present  it  as  to  obtain  a  decision 
in  his  favor.  See  Notes  on  cli.  xiii. 
3,  18-22.  Elihu  now  designs,  indi- 
rectly, to  censure  that  confidence. 
He  says  that  he  and  his  friends  were 
so  overawed  by  the  majesty  of  God, 
and  felt  themselves  so  ignorant  and 
so  ill  qualified  to  judge  of  him  and 
his  works,  that  tliey  would  not  know 
what  to  say.  They  were  in  dark- 
ness. They  could  not  understand 
even  the  works  of  his  hands  which 
were  directly  before  them,  and  the  _ 
most  common  operations  of  nature 
were  inscrutable  to  them.  How  then 
could  they  presume  to  arraign  God  .' 
How  could  they  manage  a  cause  be- 
fore him  with  any  hope  of  success  .-' 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  that 
the  state  of  mind  referred  to  here  by 
Elihu  is  that  which  should  be  culti- 
vated, and  that  the  feelings  which  he 
expresses  are  those  witli  which  we 
should  approach  the  Creator.  We 
need  some  one  to  teach  us.  We  are 
surrounded  by  mysteries  which  we 
cannot  comprehend,  and  we  should, 
therefore,  approach  our  Maker  with 
profound  reverence  and  submission. 

20.  Shall  it  be  told  him  that  I  speak  f 
Still  the  language  of  profound  awe 
and  reverence,  as  if  he  would  not 
have  it  even  intimated  to  God  that 
he  had  presumed  to  say  any  thing  in 
regard  to  him,  or  witli  a  view  to  ex- 
plain the  reason  of  his  doings.  ^  IJ 
a  man  speak.  That  is,  if  he  attempt 
to  speak  with  God  ;  to  argue  a  case 
with  him  ;  to  contend  with  him  in 
debate  ;  to  oppose  him.  Elihu  had 
designed  to  reprove  Job  for  the  bold 
and  pregumptuous  manner  in  which 
he  had  spoken  of  God,  and  for  his 
wish  to  enter  into  a  debate  with  him 


CHAPTER  XXXVIl. 


207 


21  And  now  men  see  not  the 
briglit  liglit  which  is  in  the 
clouds  ;  but  the  wind  passeth, 
and  cleanseth  them. 

ill  t)i(lor  to  viiulicalc  Iiis  cuiise.  He 
now  sa\s,  that  if  aiiv  one  should  at- 
tempt tins,  God  liad  power  at  once  to 
destroy  him  ;  and  that  sneh  an  at- 
tempt would  be  perilous  to  his  life. 
But  other  interpretations  have  been 
proposed,  wiiich  may  be  seen  in  Ro- 
senmiiller,  Umbreit,  and  Lee.  TT 
Surrhj  he  nhuU  be  swallowed  up.  De- 
stroyed for  ills  presumption  and  rasli- 
ness  in  thus  contending  with  tlie 
Almighty.  Elihu  says  that  on  this 
account  he  would  not  dare  to  speak 
with  God.  He  would  fear  that  he 
Avould  come  forth  in  his  anger,  and 
destroy  him.  How  much  man  by 
nature  instinctively  feels,  when  lie 
h.is  anv  just  views  of  the  majesty  of 
(iod,  that  he  needs  a  ]\Iediator  ! 

2! .  .iiid  now  men  see  not  the  bright 
light  jrhich  is  in  the  clouds.  Either 
the  lightning  that  plays  on  the  clouds 
in  an  approaching  tempest,  or  a  glo- 
rious light  spread  over  the  sky  on  the 
np[)roach  of  God.  There  is  reason  to 
believe  that  as  Elihu  delivered  the 
sentiments  recorded  in  the  close  of 
this  chapter,  he  meant  to  describe 
(>od  as  if  he  were  seen  to  be  ap- 
[)roaching,  and  that  the  symbols-  of 
liis  presence  were  discovered  in  the 
gathering  tempest  and  storm.  He  is 
introduced  in  the  following  chapter 
with  amazing  sublimity  and  grandeur 
to  speak  to  Job  and  his  friends,  and 
to  close  the  argument.  He  comes  in 
I  a  whirlwind,  and  speaks  in  tones  of 
vast  sublimity.  The  tokens  of  his 
coming  were  now  seen,  and  as  Elihu 
discerned  them  he  was  agitated,  and 
his  language  became  abrupt  and  con- 
fused. His  language  is  just  such  as 
one  would  use  when  the  mind  was 
overawed  with  the  approach  of  God 
— .solemn,  and  full  of  reverence,  but 
not  connected,  and  much  less  calm 
than  in  his  ordinary  discourse.  The 
close  of  this  chapter,  it  seems  to  me, 
therefore,  is  to  be  regarded  as  spoken 
when    the   tempest   was   seen   to   be 


2*2  '  Fair  weather  cometh  out 
of  the  north  :  with  God  is  terri- 
ble majesty. 

]    Odd. 

gathering,  and  when  in  awful  majesty 
God  was  approaching,  the  lightnings 
playing  around  him,  the  clouds  piled 
on  clouds  attending  liim,  the  thunder 
reverberating  along  the  sky,  and  an 
unusual  brightness  evincing  his  up- 
proach.  Notes,  ver.  22.  The  idea 
here  is,  that  men  could  not  stead- 
fastly behold  that  bright  light.  It 
was  so  dazzling  and  so  overpowering 
that  they  could  not  gaze  on  it  intent- 
ly. The  coming  of  such  a  Being, 
arrayed  in  so  much  grandeur,  and 
clothed  in  such  a  light,  was  fitted  to 
overcome  the  human  powers.  *([  But 
the  loind  passeth,  and  cleansctk  them. 
The  wind  passes  along  and  makes 
them  clear.  The  idea  seems  to  be, 
that  the  wind  appeared  to  sweep 
along  over  the  clouds  as  the  tempest 
was  rising,  and  they  seemed  to  open^ 
or  disperse  in  one  part  of  the  heavens, 
and  to  reveal  in  the  opening  a  glory 
so  bright  and  dazzliuy;  that  the  eye 
could  not  rest  upon  it.  That  light  or 
splendor  made  in  the  opening  cloud 
was  the  symbol  of  God,  approaching 
to  wind  up  this  great  controversy, 
and  to  address  Job  and  his  friends  in 
the  sublime  language  which  is  found 
in  the  closing  cliapters  of  the  book_ 
The  word  rendered  clcanseth  ("^D^) 
means  properly  to  sliine,  to  be  bright  ] 
and  then  to  be  pure  or  clean.  Here 
the  notion  of  shining  or  briglUness  is 
to  be  retained  ;  and  the  idea  is,  that 
a  wind  appeared  to  pass  along,  remov- 
ing the  cloud  which  seemed  to  be  a 
veil  on  the  throne  of  God,  and  suffer- 
ing tiie  visible  symbol  of  his  majesty 
to  be  seen  through  the  opening.  See 
Notes  on  ch.  xxvi.  9,  "  He  holdeth 
back  the  face  of  hi.s  throne,  and 
spreadeth  his  cloud  upon  it." 

22.   Fair    weather.       ftlarg.    gold. 

The  Hebrew  word  (^<^l)  properly 
means  gold,  and  is  so  rendered  by  the 
Vulgate,  the  Syriac,  and  by  most  ver- 
sions.    The    LXX    render   it,   rt'xptj 


208 


JOB. 


23  Touching  the  Almighty, 
we  "  cannot  find  him  out  :  he  is 
excellent  in  ''  power,  and  in  jndg- 

•/uxu^.ax'yrn'rm,  '  rloiids  shining  lilie 
gold.'  The  Chnld.'e,  ^<'::!D'^^:,  the 
nurt!]  wind,  Boreas.  IVIany  exposi- 
tors iiave  endeavored  to  show  that 
gold  was  found  in  l!ie  nortiiern  re- 
gions (see  Sfhtiitens,  in  Inc.)  ;  and  it 
is  not  dilficiilt  so  to  establish  that  fart 
as  to  be  a  confirmation  of  what  is 
here  said,  on  the  supposition  that  it 
refers  lit  rally  to  gold.  But  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  see  why  Eiihu  should  here 
make  a  reference  to  the  source  where 
gold  was  found,  or  how  such  a  refi:'r- 
ence  should  be  counectod  with  the 
description  of  the  approaching  tem- 
pest, and  the  light  which  was  already 
seen  on  tiio  t)pening  clouds.  It  seems 
probable  to  me  that  the  idea  is  wholly 
difTerent,  and  that  Elihu  means  to 
say  that  a  bright,  dazzling  light  was 
seen  in  the  northern  sky  J'lhe  hiir- 
nishr.d  gold,  which  was  a  fit  symbol 
of  the  approaching  Deity.  This  idea 
is  hinted  at  in  the  Septuagint,  but  it 
has  not  seemed  to  occur  to  expositors. 
The  image  is  that  of  the  heavens 
darkened  with  the  tempest,  the  light- 
nings playing,  the  thunder  rolling, 
and  thr/i  the  wind  seeming  to  brush 
away  the  clouds  in  the  north,  and 
disclosing  in  the  opening  a  bright, 
dazzling  appearance  like  burnished 
gold,  that  bespoke  the  approach  of 
God.  The  word  is  never  used  in  the 
sense  of  fair  weather.  An  ancient 
Greek  tragedian,  mentioned  by  Gro- 
tius,  speaks  o? gulden  air — /ovnoj-Tni 
alO-r]!).  Varro  also  uses  a  similar 
expression — aurescit  aer,  the  air  hc- 
conies  like  gold.  So  Thomson,  in  his 
Seasons  : 

But  yonder  comes  tlie  powerful  l<in5  of  day 
Kejniciii?  in  tlio  cast.     The  jesi^enin;,'  cloud, 
Tlie  kindling  iizute,  and  the  mountain's  brow, 
Illumed  wlthfiiLid  gold,  his  near  approach 
Betoken  glad.  Summer. 

IT  Out  of  the  north.  That  is,  the 
symbol  of  the  approaching  Deity  ap- 
pears in  that  quarter,  or  God  was  seen 
to  approach  from   the  north.     It  may 


ment,  "  and  in  plenty  of  ju.stice  : 
''  he  will  not  afllict. ' 

a  1  Ti.  G.  J6.  b  Vs.  G"}.  11.     66.  3. 

c  Ps.  99.  4.  d  Isa.  45.  21.         e  La.  3.  33. 

serve  to  explain  this,  to  remark  that 
among  the  ancients  the  northern  re- 
gions were  regarded  as  the  residence 
of  the  gods,  and  that  on  the  moun- 
tains in  the  north  it  was  supposed 
they  were  accustomed  to  assemble. 
In  proof  of  this,  and  for  the  reasons 
of  it,  see  Notes  on  Isa.  xiv.  13.  From 
that  region  Elihu  sees  God  now  ap- 
proaching, and  directs  the  attention 
of  his  companions  to  the  symbols  ol' 
his  advent.  It  is  this  which  fills  his 
mind  with  so  much  consternation, 
and  which  renders  his  discourse  so 
broken  and  disconnected.  Having, 
in  a  manner  evincing  great  alarm, 
directed  their  attention  to  these  sym- 
bols, he  concludes  what  he  has  to  say 
in  a  hurried  manner,  and  God  ap- 
pears, to  close  the  controversy.  IF 
IVith  God  is  terrible  majcstij.  This 
is  not  a  declaration  asserting  this  of 
God  in  general,  but  as  he  then  ap- 
peared. It  is  the  language  of  one 
who  was  overwhelmed  with  his  aw- 
ful majesty,  as  the  brightness  of  his 
presence  was  seen  on  the  tempest. 

23.  Touching  the  Almighty,  loc  can- 
not find  him.  out.  See  Notes,  ch.  xi. 
7-!).  This  sentiment  accords  with 
all  that  Elihu  had  said,  and  indeed 
is  what  he  designed  particularly  to 
enforce  But  it  has  a  peculiar  empha- 
sis here,  where  God  is  seen  approach- 
ing in  visible  splendor,  encompassed 
with  clouds  and  tempests,  and  seated 
on  a  throne  of  burnished  gold.  Suck 
a  God,  Eliliu  says,  it  was  impossible 
to  comprehend.  His  majesty  was 
overwhelming.  The  passage  is  much 
more  impressive  and  solemn,  and  ac- 
cords much  better  with  the  original, 
by  omitting  the  words  which  our 
translators  have  introduced  and  print 
ed  in  italics.     It  would  then  be. 

The  Almighty  ! — We  cannot  find  him  out ! 
Great  in  power,  and  in  justice,  and  in  right- 
eousness ! 

Thus  it  expresses  the  overwhelming 
en)ot!on,  the  awe,  the  alarm  produced 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


209 


24  Men   do   therefore   "   fear 

c  Mat.  10.  28.  6  Mat.  H.  25.  1  Co.  1.  26 

on  the  mind  of  one  who  saw  God 
approacliing  in  the  .sublimity  of  tlie 
storm.  IT  He  is  excellent  in  porcer. 
He  excels,  or  is  vast  and  incompre- 
Iiensible  in  power.  IT  Jliid  in  judo- 
ment.  Tiiat  is,  in  justice.  IT  W/u/  in 
plentij  of  justice.  Heb.,  '  in  niiilti- 
liide  of  righteousness.'  The  meaning 
i,-;,  that  there  was  an  overflowing  ful- 
ness of  righteousness  ;  his  character 
was  entirely  righteous,  or  that  trait 
ahuundrd  in  him.  IT  He  vvfl  not  af- 
flict. Or,  he  will  not  opj)ress,  he 
will  not  crush.  It  was  true  that  he 
did  afflict  men,  but  the  idea  is,  that 
there  was  not  harshness  or  oppression 
in  it.  He  would  not  do  it  for  tlie 
mere  sake  of  producing  affliction,  or 
when  it  was  not  deserved.  iSome 
3ISS.  vary  the  reading  here  so  as  to 
mean  '  he  will  not  answer  ;'  that  is, 
he  will  not  give  any  account  of  what 
he  does.  The  change  lias  relation 
only  to  the  points,  but  the  above  is 
the  usual  interpretation,  and  accords 
well  with  the  connection.. 

24.  Men    da    therefore   fear    him. 
There  is  reason  why  they  should  fear 


him  :  he  respecteth  not  any  that 
are  wise  ''of  heart. 

him,  or  why  they  should  treat  him 
with  reverence.  TT  lie  respecteth  not. 
ami  that  are  wi.fc  of  heart.  He  pur- 
sues his  own  plans,  and  forms  and 
executes  his  own  counsels.  He  is 
not  dependent  on  the  suggestions  of 
men,  and  docs  not  listen  to  their  ad- 
vice. In  his  schemes  he  is  original 
and  indej)endent,  and  men  should 
therefore  regard  him  with  profound 
veneration.  This  is  the  sum  of  all 
that  Elihu  had  to  say — that  God  was 
original  and  independent  ;  that  he 
did  not  ask  counsel  of  men  in  his 
dealings  ;  tliat  he  was  great,  and  glo- 
rious, and  inscrutable  in  his  plans  ; 
and  that  men  therefore  should  bow 
before  him  with  profound  submission 
and  adoration.  It  was  to  he  presumed 
that  he  was  wise  and  good  in  all  that 
he  did,  and  to  this  independent  and 
almighty  Sovereign  man  ought  to  sub- 
mit his  understanding  and  his  heart. 
Having  illustrated  and  enforced  this 
sentiment,  Elihu,  overwlielmed  with 
the  awful  symbols  of  the  approaching 
Deity,  is  silent,  and  God  is  introduced 
to  close  the  controversy. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 


In  the  previous  chapter,  God  is  represented  as  approaching  in  a  tempest.  While  the  light- 
nings were  playing,  and  the  tliunders  rolling,  a  bright,  golden  liglit  is  seen  in  the  north,  indicating 
the  approach  of  the  Most  High  Elihu  is  overpowered  with  his  majesty,  and  concludes  his 
speech  in  a  brief,  hurried,  and  agitated  manner.  .See  Notes  on  ch.  xxxvii.  21-24.  Even  while 
he  is  thus  ."peaking.  God  appears,  and  addresses  Job  from  the  midst  of  the  storm,  and  puts  an 
end  to  this  protracted  contioversy.  He  is  introduced  in  circumstances  of  the  highest  sublimity, 
and  at  a  time  when  all  the  speakers  must  have  felt  that  his  interposition  was  desirable.  The 
friends  of  Job  had  not  been  able  to  maintain  their  position,  and  had  been  silenced.  Job.  though 
he  had  silenced  them,  had  not  been  able  to  explain  the  facts  which  were  constantly  occurring, 
and  which  had  constituted  the  basis  of  the  argument  ofhis  friends.  Both  they  and  he  had  evinced, 
to  a  considerable  extent,  an  improper  spirit  in  what  they  had  said,  and  it  was  appropriate 
that  the  divine  views  should  be  expressed  in  regard  to  their  ojiinions  and  their  temper.  Elihu 
had  interposed,  and  had  professed  his  ability  to  explain  every  thing  which  was  dark  in  the  de- 
bate.    He  had,  however,  advanced  but  one  new  thought,  that  calamity  was  designed  to  be  disci- 


210  JOB. 

plinary,  and  wag  not  to  be  regarded  as  certain  proof  of  the  character  of  him  who  was  afflicted. 
Beyond  this  he  was  unable  to  offer  any  explanation  ;  and  supposing  that  Job  had  not  submitted 
as  a  good  man  should  undei  atflictions,  he  had  concluded  also  th.it  Job  lacked  thu  proper  spirit 
of  piety,  and  joined  with  the  friends  of  Job  in  the  langjaage  of  sevure  reproacJi.  Bnt  in  the  great 
matters  pertaining  to  the  divine  adininistration  which  had  given  so  much  perple.xity,  Elihu  had 
no  explanation  to  make,  and  all  that  he  could  say  was,  that  God  was  so  mighty  that  man  ought 
to  submit  to  him. 

At  this  stage  of  the  argument  the  Almighty  himself  appears,  and  addresses  Job  fronr.  tne  midst 
of  the  tempest.  He  does  not  indeed  appear,  as  Job  had  anli.;ip  ited  he  would,  to  vindicate  him 
at  once.  See  Notes  on  ch.  xi.x,  25,  seq.  His  first  object  is  to  bring  Job  to  a  proper  state  of 
mind  j  to  reprove  the  boldness  and  presumption  with  which  he  had  spoken  of  tlie  di\ine 
de.ilings  ;  and  to  show  him  how  utterly  incompetent  he  was  to  judge  of  the  ways  of  God.  At 
the  close  of  the  scene,  however,  he  expresses  his  approb;ition  of  the  general  spirit  of  Job  in  pre- 
ference to  that  of  his  friends,  and  restores  him  to  more  than  his  former  prosperity. 

It  is  remarkable  that  in  this  discourse  even  God  himself  does  not  explain  the  ditlicuUies  which 
had  so  much  embarrassed  Job  and  his  friends.  He  does  not  state  why  the  wicked  are  so  much 
prospered,  or  why  the  righteous  sutfer  so  much  ;  he  does  not  show  )iow  the  sulferings  of  the 
good  are  consistent  with  his  approbation  of  their  conduct,  nor  does  he  refer  to  the  retribuUons 
of  the  future  world.  He  does  nut  say  that  the  inequalities  here  will  be  adjusted  there  ;  that  the 
wicked  who  are  prospered  here  will  be  punished  there  ;  or  that  the  righteous  who  suffer  here 
will  receive  an  ample  compensation  there.  This,  which  we  might  have  anticipated,  and  which 
would  be  the  way  in  which  we  would  now  endeavor  to  meet  the  difficulties  of  the  case,  would 
have  been  far  in  advance  of  the  state  of  knowledge  then  possessed  in  the  world,  and  would  have 
been  anticipating  the  high  and  sublime  revelations  reserved  for  Christianity.  It  was  not  the 
purpose  of  God  then  to  reveal  the  doctiinc  of  the  future  state,  and  to  communicate  those  sublime 
truths  wbicli  now  console  us  in  our  afflictions,  and  which,  amidst  the  inequalities  of  the  present 
state  of  trial,  lead  us  to  look  forward  to  another  world.  Those  truths  were  appropriately  reserv- 
ed for  the  brighter  period  in  the  history  of  the  world,  when  the  lightof  Christianity  would  arise. 
Truth  has  been  communicated  to  mankind  gradually,  and  however  easy  it  would  have  been  for 
God  to  have  communicated  the  truths  which  we  now  have  in  the  earliest  stages  of  society,  and 
however  much  suffering  they  might  have  alleviated,  yet  God  chose  to  leave  the  subject  of  reve- 
lation as  he  did  science,  morality,  the  arts  of  life,  and  civil  government,  to  gradual  and  slow 
development.  Elementary  truths  Were  communicated  at  first,  and  by  degrees  those  truths  were 
enlarged  until  the  perfect  light  arose. 

In  tlie  conceptions  of  the  nature  of  the  divine  government,  therefore,  among  the  patriarchs, 
we  are  not  to  look  for  the  elevated  views  which  we  have  under  the  gospel,  and  we  are  not  to 
expect  to  find  the  same  hopes  and  promises  to  cheer  tliem  in  their  atfiictioiis  which  we  enjoy. 
There  was  indeed  eaou^b  truth  revealed'to  preserve  them  from  utter  despondency,  and  to  save  the 
soul  ;  but  the  system  of  divine  truth  was  not  fully  disclosed  to  them.  Accordingly,  in  this  dis- 
course of  the  Almighty,  we  do  not  meet  with  the  same  truths  which  we  are  permitted  to  contem- 
plate under  the  Christian  revelation.  We  are  not  directed  to  the  same  views  of  the  designs  of 
affliction,  nor  the  same  topics  of  consolation.  We  are  not  told  of  the  future  state,  nor  of  the 
benefiis  wliich  flow  from  trial  there,  nor  of  the  consolations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  nor  of  the  bless- 
ings of  redemption.  One  great  thought  is  held  up  to  view,  that  there  ought  to  be  submission  to 
that  Ooil  icho  had  shownhimself  to  be  so  great  and  wise.  The  appeal  is  made  to  his  works  ;  to  the 
vastness  of  his  wisdom  ;  to  the  evidences  of  his  power;  to  the  fict  that  there  was  so  much  in 
his  doings  that  was  above  the  comprehension  of  man  ;  and  hence  the  e  is  inferred  the  impropri- 
ety of  arraigning  him  in  regard  to  his  moral  government,  or  of  sitring  in  judgment  on  his  dealings. 
Profound  submission  to  such  a  God  is  demanded,  and  men  should  ac(piii-sce  in  the  belief  that  he 
is  ri^ht,  even  though  the  reasons  of  his  doings  are  not  disclosed  God  is  supreme,  and  should  be 
adored  ;  his  wisdom  is  incomprehensible,  and  it  is  presunijituous  to  arraign  it ;  his  power  is  infi- 
nite, and  mm  cannot  resist  it ;  and  his  providential  care  is  universal,  and  man  should  trust  him. 
The  single  lesson,  tlierefore,  which  seems  to  be  designed  to  be  taught,  is,  that  we  are  to 
SUBMIT  to  the  will  OF  GoD.  We  are  to  do  this,  not  because  we  see  the  reasons  of  his 
doings,  and  not  because  we  are  to  be  rewarded  for  it,  and  not  because  there  is  nothing  dark  in 
his  dispensations,  but  because  he  is  God,  and  has  a  right  to  do  his  pleasure. 

In  this  chapt-;r,  the  appeal  is  made  to  a  great  variety  of  subjects  to  show  how  great  and 
incomprehensible  he  is.  God  does  not  vindicate  his  own  dealings,  but  he  lecjuires  Job,  who  had 
spoken  so  confidently  and  rashly,  to  attempt  to  give  an  ex])lanation  of  some  of  the  works  of  na- 
ture which  are  constantly  presented  to  view.  The  argument  is,  that  if  he  was  unable  to  explain 
those  things  which  are  before  the  eyes,  it  was  presumption  of  the  highest  kind  to  complain  of 
the  secret  couns.ls  and  purposes  of  the  Almighty.  If  his  natural  government  could  not  be  com- 
prehended or  explained  in  regard  to  the  phenomena  which  are  constantly  occurring,  how  much 
Jess  could  man  hope  to  understand  the  principles  of  his  moral  administration.  In  illustrating 
and  enforcing  this,  God  appeals  to  the  following  things : — To  the  creation  of  the  earth,  vs.  4-7  ; 
to  the  sea,  and  the  wisdom  evinced  in  fixing  its  bounds,  vs.  8-11  ;  to  the  formation  of  light,  and 
the  manner  in  which  it  is  distributed  over  the  earth,  vs.  12-15  ;  to  the  supplies  of  water  for  tho 
ocean,  ver.  16  ;  to  the  deep  caverns  of  the  region  of  death,  ver.  17;  to  the  extent  of  tho  earth, 
ver.  ly  ;  to  the  sources  of  light  and  of  darkness,  vs.  19-21  ;  to  the  formation  of  snow  and  hail.  vs. 
22,  23  ;  to  the  lightning,  the  storm,  and  the  showers  of  rain,  vs.  24-28  ;  to  the  formation  of  ice, 
vs.  29,  30  ;  to  the  rising  and  setting  of  the  stars,  and  their  influence  over  the  world,  vs.  31-35  ;  to 
the  wisdom  which  he  has  given  to  man,  ver.  30;  to  the  clouds,  vs.  37,  38;  to  tne  instiiicis  of 
unimals,  and  the  laws  by  which  they  are  governed,  vs.  39-41. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


211 


'"PHEN    the    Lord    answered 
Job  out  of  the    whirlwind, 
and  said, 


1.  Then  the  Lord  answered  Job. 
Tills  speecli  is  addressed  particularly 
to  Job,  not  only  because  he  is  the 
principal  personage  referred  to  in  the 
book,  but  particularly  because  he  had 
indulged  in  language  of  murmuring 
and  complaint.  God  designed  to 
bring  him  to  a  proper  state  of  mind 
before  he  appeared  openly  for  his 
vindication.  It  is  the  purpose  of  God, 
in  his  dealings  with  his  people,  to 
bring  than  to  a  proper  state  of  mind 
before  he  appears  as  their  vindicator 
and  friend,  and  hence  their  trials  are 
otlen  prolonged,  and  when  he  ap- 
pears, he  seems  at  first  to  come  only 
to  rebuke  them.  Job  had  indulged 
in  very  improper  feelings,  and  it  was 
neeilful  that  those  feelings  should  be 
subdued  before  God  would  manifest 
himself  as  his  friend,  and  address  hinj 
iu  words  of  consolation.  IT  Out  of  the 
whirlwind.  The  tempest ;  the  storm 
—  pro!)ably  that  which  Elihu  had  seen 
approaching,  ch.  xxxvii.  iil-24.  God 
is  often  represented  as  speaking  to  men 
iu  this  manner.  He  spake  amidst  light- 
nings and  tempests  on  Rlount  Sinai 
(Ex.  xix.  16-18),  and  he  is  frequently 
represented  as  appearing  amidst  the 
thunders  and  lightnings  of  a  tempest, 
as  a  svmbol  of  his  majesty.  Comp. 
Ps.  xviii.  'J-13.  Hab.  iii.  3-6.  The 
word  here  rendered  u-hirlwind  means 
rather  a  storm,  a  tempest.  The  LXX 
render  this  verse,  '  After  Elihu  had 
ceased  speaking,  the  Lord  spake  to 
Job  from  a  tempest  and  clouds.' 

2.  Who  is  this.  Referring  doubt- 
less to  Job,  for  he  is  specified  in  the 
previous  verse.  Some  have  under- 
stood it  of  Elihu  (see  Schultens),  but 
the  connection  evidently  demands 
that  it  should  be  understood  as  refer- 
ring to  Job.  The  object  was,  to  re- 
prove him  for  the  presumptuous  man- 
ner in  which  lie  had  spoken  of  God 
and  of  his  government.  It  was  im- 
portant before  God  manifested  his 
approval  of  Job,  that  he  should  de- 


2  Who  is  this  that  darkeneth 
counsel  by  words  "  without  know- 
ledge '? 

a  c.  34.  35,  35.  16. 


clare  his  sense  of  what  he  had  said, 
and  show  liim  liow  improper  it  was 
to  indulge  in  language  such  as  he 
hiul  used.  IT  That  darkeneth  counsel . 
That  makes  the  subject  darker,  in- 
stead of  explaining  the  reason  of  the 
divine  dealings,  and  vindicating  God 
from  the  objections  alleged  against 
him  and  his  government,  the  only  ten- 
dency of  what  he  had  saitl  had  been 
to  make  his  government  apjiear  dark, 
and  severe,  and  unjust  in  the  view 
of  his  friends.  It  might  have  been 
expected  of  Job,  being  a  friend  of 
God,  that  all  tliat  he  said  would  have 
tended  to  inspire  confidence  in  him, 
and  to  explain  and  vindicate  the  di- 
vine dealings  ;  but  God  had  seen 
much  that  was  the  very  reverse. 
Even  the  true  friends  of  God,  in  the 
dark  times  of  trial,  may  say  much 
that  will  tend  to  make  men  doubt  the 
wisdom  and  goodness  of  his  govern- 
ment, and  to  prejudice  the  minds  of 
the  wicked  against  him.  IT  By  icords 
without  knowledge.  Words  that  did 
not  contain  a  true  explanation  of  the 
difiiculty.  They  conveyed  no  light 
about  his  dealings  ;  they  did  not  tend 
to  satisfy  the  mind,  or  to  make  the 
subject  more  clear  than  it  was  before. 
There  is  much  of  this  kind  of  speak- 
ing in  the  world  ;  much  that  is  writ- 
ten, and  much  that  falls  from  the  lips 
in  debate,  in  pi-eaching,  and  in  con- 
versation, that  explains  nothing,  and 
that  even  leaves  the  subject  more 
perplexed  than  it  was  before.  We 
see  from  this  verse  that  God  does  not 
and  cannot  approve  of  such  '  words.' 
If  his  friends  speak,  they  should  vin- 
dicate liis  government ;  they  should 
at  least  express  their  conviction  that 
he  is  right;  they  should  aim  to  ex- 
plain his  doings,  and  to  show  to  the 
world  that  they  are  reasonable.  If 
they  cannot  do  this,  they  should 
adore  in  silence.  The  Saviour  never 
spoke  of  God  in  such  a  way  as  to 
leave  any  doubt  that  his  ways  could 


212 


JOB. 


3  Gird  up  now  thy  loins  like  a 
man  ;  for  I  will  demand  of  thee, 
and  '  answer  thou  me. 

4  Where  "  wast  thou  when  I 
laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth  ? 


1   make  mr.  knoirn. 


a  Pr.  8.  22,  30. 


be  vindicated,  never  so  as  to  leave 
tlie  impression  tliat  lie  was  harsh  or 
severe  in  his  adiiiiiiistratioii,  or  so  as 
to  lend  the  least  countenance  to  a 
.spirit  of  niiirniuriiig  and  complaining. 

3.  G/rd  lip  noic  ihy  loins  like  a 
man.  To  gird  up  the  loins,  is  a 
phrase  wiiicli  has  allusion  to  the 
mode  of  dress  in  ancient  times.  The 
loose  flowing  roiie  which  was  com- 
monly worn,  was  fastened  with  a 
girdle  when  men  ran,  or  labored,  or 
engi'.ged  in  conflict.  See  Notes  on 
Matlh.  V.  38-41.  The  idea  here  is, 
'  jMake  thyself  as  strong  and  vigorous 
as  possible  ;  be  prepared  to  put  forth 
the  highest  eflbrt.'  God  was  about 
to  put  him  to  a  task  which  would  re- 
quire all  his  ability — that  of  explain- 
ing the  iiicts  which  were  constantly 
occurring  in  the  universe.  The  whole 
passage  is  ironical.  Job  had  under- 
taken to  tell  what  he  knew  of  the  di- 
vine administration,  and  God  now 
calls  upon  hiin  to  show  his  claims  to 
the  oflice  of  such  an  expositor.  So 
wise  a  man  as  he  was,  who  could  pro- 
nounce on  the  hidden  counsels  of  the 
Most  High  with  so  much  confidence, 
could  assuredly  explain  tliose  things 
which  pertained  to  the  visible  crea- 
tion. The  phrase  '  like  a  man  '  means 
boldly,  courageously.  Comp.  Notes, 
1  Cor.  xvi.  13.  H  /  icill  demand  of 
t/icc,  and  ansjrer  thou  me.  Marg.  as 
in  Heb.,  make  me  knoton.  The 
meaning  is,  '  I  will  submit  some  ques- 
tions or  subjects  of  inquiry  to  you  for 
solution.  Since  you  have  spoken 
with  so  muci)  confidence  of  my  gov- 
ernment, I  will  propose  some  inqui- 
ries as  a  test  of  your  knowledge.' 

4.  Where  wast  thou  ichcn  I  laid  the 
foundations  of  the  earth  ?     The  first 

appeal  is  to  the  creation.  The  ques- 
tion here,  '  Where  wast  thou  .'"'  im- 
plies that  Job  was  not  present.     He 


declare,    if    thou    "hast    under- 
standing. 

5  Who  hath  laid  tlie  measures 
thereof,  if  thou  knowest  ?  or  who 
hatli  stretched  the  line  upon  it  ? 


had  not  then  an  existence.  He  c^uld 
not,  therefore,  have  aided  God,  or 
counselled  him,  or  understood  what 
he  was  doing.  How  presumptuous, 
therefore,  it  was  in  one  so  short-lived 
to  sit  in  judgment  on  the  doings  of 
him  wlio  had  formed  the  world  ! 
How  little  could  he  expect  to  be  able 
to  kik)w  of  him  !  The  expression, 
'  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth,' 
is  taken  from  building  an  edifice. 
The  foundations  are  first  laid,  and 
the  superstructure  is  then  reared.  It 
is  a  poetic  image,  and  is  not  designed 
to  give  any  intimation  about  the  ac- 
tual process  by  which  the  earth  was 
made,  or  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
sustained.  11  If  thou  hast  understand- 
ing. Marg.  as  in  Heb.,  if  thou  know- 
est. That  is,  '  Declare  how  it  was 
done.  Explain  the  manner  in  which 
the  earth  was  formed  and  fixed  in  its 
place,  and  by  which  the  beautiful 
world  grew  up  under  the  hand  of 
God.'  If  Job  could  not  do  this,  what 
presumption  was  it  to  sj)eak  as  he  had 
done  of  the  divine  administration  ! 

5.  Who  hath  laid  the  measures  there- 
of. That  is,  as  an  architect  applies  his 
measures  when  he  rears  a  house.  H 
Jf  thou  knoxcest.  Or  rather, '  for  thou 
knowest.'  The  expression  is  wholly 
ironical,  and  is  designed  to  rebuke 
Job's  pretensions  of  being  able  to  ex- 
plain the  di\ine  administration.  \\ 
Or  who  hath  stretched  the  line  upon  it 
As  a  carpenter  uses  a  line  to  mark 
out  his  work.  See  Notes  on  Isa. 
xxviii.  17.  The  earth  is  represented 
as  a  building,  the  plan  of  which  v/as 
laid  out  beforehand,  and  which  was 
then  made  according  to  the  sketch  ot 
the  architect.  It  is  not,  thereforf;, 
the  work  of  chance  or  fate.  It  is  laid 
out  and  constructed  according  to  a. 
wise  plan,  and  in  a  method  evincing 
infinite  skill. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


213 


6  Whereupon  are  the  '  foun- 
dations thereof  '^  fastened  .'  or 
who  laid  tiie  corner-stone  there- 
of, 


6.    IVIicieupon  itrc  the  foundations. 
Marg.   sockets.     Tlie    Hebrew    word 

(1*7.'*)  means  a  basis,  as  of  a  column, 
or  a  pedestal  ;  and  then  also  tlie 
foundation  of  a  building.  Tiie  lan- 
guage here  is  evidently  figurative, 
comparing  tlie  earth  with  an  edifice. 
In  building  a  house,  liie  securing  of 
a  proper  luuudation  is  essential  to  its 
stability  ;  and  here  Ciod  represents 
him.selt"  as  rearing  the  earth  on  the 
most  permanent  and  solid  basis.  The 
word  is  not  used  in  the  sense  of  sock- 
ets, as  it  is  in  the  margin.  If  Fasten- 
ed. ]\larg.  made  to  sink.  The  mar- 
gin ratlier  e-xpresses   the  sense  of  the 

Hebrew  word — "-'^^i^.  It  is  ren- 
dered sink  and  sunk  in  Ps.  Ixi.x.  2, 
14,  ix.  ]o.  Lam.  ii.  9.  Jer.  xxxviii.  6, 
2'2  ;  drowned  in  Ex.  xv.  4,  and  were 
settled  in  Prov.  viii.  25.  The  word 
does  not  elsewhere  occur  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  the  prevailing  sense 
is  that  of  sinking,  or  settlin<r  down, 
and  hence  to  impress — as  a  seal  set- 
tles down  into  wax.  The  reference 
here  is  to  a  foundation-stone  that 
sinks  or  settles  down  into  clay  or 
mire  until  it  becomes  solid.  If  Or 
7oho  laid  the  corner-stone  thereof. 
Still  an  allusion  to  a  building.  The 
corner-stone  sustains  the  principal 
weight  of  an  edifice,  as  the  weight 
of  two  walls  is  concentrated  on  it, 
and  hence  it  is  of  such  importance 
that  it  should  be  solid  and  firmly 
fixed.  The  question  proposed  for  the 
solii;i(ui  of  Job  is,  On  what  the  eartii 
is  founded  ?  On  this  question  a  great 
variety  of  opinions  was  entertained 
by  the  ancients,  and  of  course  no 
correct  solution  could  be  given  of  the 
dilficulty.  It  was  not  known  that  it 
was  suspt'uded  and  held  in  its  place 
by  the  laws  of  gravitation.  The 
meaning  here  is,  that  if  Job  could  not 
solve  tnis  inquiry,  he  ought  not  to 
presume  to  sit  in  judgment  on  the 
government  of  tiod,  and   to  suppose 


7  Wlien  the  morniniir-stars  " 
sanff  tojTetlier,  and  all  tlie  sons 
of  Grod  shouted  for  joy  ? 

1   tockcts.         2  made  to  aink.         a  Key.  0.  28. 


that  he  was  qualified  to  judge  of  his 
secret  counsels. 

7.  H'hentheinorninsr-stars.  There 
can  be  little  duubt  tiiat  angelic  beings 
are  intended  here,  though  some  have 
thought  that  the  stars  literally  are 
rulcrred  to,  and  that  they  seemed 
to  unite  in  a  chorus  of  praise  when 
another  world  was  added  to  their 
number.  The  Vulgate  renders  it, 
ustra  mulutina,  morning-stars  ;  the 
LXX,  Oif  ^yirr'jOtjrai  dnrua — when 
the  stars  were  made ;  the  Chaldee, 
'the  stars  of  the  zephyr,'  or  morning 
— ""^^  '^•5^''^-  The  comparison  of  a 
prince,  a  monarch,  or  an  angel,  with 
a  star,  is  not  uncommon.  Comp 
Notes  on  Isa.  xiv.  12.  The  expres 
sion  '  the  morning-siAxs  '  is  used  on 
account  of  llie  beauty  of  the  principal 
star  which,  at  certain  seasons  of  the 
year,  leads  on  the  morning.  It  is 
applied  naturally  to  those  angelic 
beings  that  are  of  distinguished  ghjry 
and  rank  in  heaven.  That  it  refers 
to  the  angels,  seems  to  be  evident 
from  the  connection  ;  and  this  inter- 
pretation is  demanded  in  order  to 
correspond  with  the  phrase  '  sons  of 
God  '  in  the  other  member  of  the 
verse.  H  Sang  together.  United  in 
a  grand  chorus  or  concert  of  praise. 
It  was  usual  to  celebrate  the  laying 
of  a  corner-stone,  or  the  completion 
of  an  edifice,  by  rejoicing.  See  Zech. 
iv.  7.  Ezra  iii.  10.  If  And  all  the 
sons  of  God.  Angels — called  the 
sons  of  God  from  their  resemblance 
to  him,  or  their  being  created  by  him. 
IT  Shouted  for  joy.  That  is,  they 
joined  in  praise  for  so  glorious  a  work 
as  the  creation  of  a  nevv'world.  The" 
saw  that  it  was  an  event  which  was 
fitted  to  honor  God.  It  was  a  new 
manifestation  of  his  goodness  and 
power  ;  it  was  an  enlargement  of  hi.s 
empire  ;  it  was  an  exhibition  of  be- 
nevolence that  claimed  their  grati- 
tude.    The  expression  in  this  verse 


214 


JOB. 


8  Or    who    shut    up    the    sea 
with  doors,  when  it  brake  forth, 

is  one  of  uncommon,  perhaps  of  une- 
qualled beauty.  The  time  referred 
to  is  at  tJie  close  of  the  creation  of  the 
earth,  for  the  whole  account  relates 
to  the  formation  of  this  world,  and 
not  of  the  stars.  At  that  period,  it  is 
clear  that  other  worlds  had  been 
made,  and  that  there  were  holy  be- 
ings then  in  existence  who  were  of 
such  a  rank  as  appropriately  to  be 
called  'morning-stars'  and  'sons  of 
God.'  It  is  a  fair  inference,  there- 
fore, that  tJie  ichole  of  tlie  universe 
was  not  made  at  once,  and  that  the 
earth  is  one  of  the  last  of  the  worlds 
which  liave  been  called  into  being. 
No  one  can  demonstrate  that  the 
work  of  creation  may  not  now  be  go- 
ing on  in  some  remote  part  of  the 
universe,  nor  that  God  may  not  yet 
form  many  more  worlds  to  be  the 
monuments  of  his  wisdom  and  good- 
ness, and  to  give  occasion  for  aug- 
mented praise.  Who  can  tell  but 
that  this  process  may  be  carried  on 
forever,  and  that  new  worlds  and 
systems  may  continue  to  start  into 
being,  and  there  be  continually  new 
displays  of  the  inexhaustible  goodness 
and  wisdom  of  the  Creator  ?  When 
this  world  was  made,  there  was  occa- 
sion for  songs  ol  praise  among  the 
angels.  It  was  a  beautiful  world. 
All  was  pure,  and  lovely,  and  lioly. 
Man  was  made  like  his  God,  and 
every  thing  was  full  of  love.  Survey- 
ing the  beautiful  scene,  as  the  world 
arose  under  the  plastic  hand  of  the 
Almighty — its  hills,  and  vales,  and 
trees,  and  flowers,  and  animals,  there 
was  occasion  for  songs  and  rejoicings 
in  heaven.  Could  the  angels  have 
foreseen,  as  perhaps  they  did,  what 
was  to  occur  here,  there  was  also  oc- 
casion for  songs  of  praise  such  as 
would  exist  in  the  creation  of  no  other 
world.  This  was  to  be  the  world  of 
redeeming  love  ;  this  the  world  where 
the  Son  of  God  was  to  become  incar- 
nate and  die  for  sinners ;  this  the 
world  where  an  immense  host  was  to 
be  redeemed  to  praise  God  in  a  song 


as  if  it  had  issued  out  of  the 
womb  ? 

unknown  to  the  angels — the  song  of 
redemption,  in  the  sweet  notes  which 
shall  ascend  from  the  lips  of  those 
who  shall  have  been  ransomed  from 
death  by  the  great  work  of  the  atone- 
ment. 

8.  Or  who  shut  up  the  sea  tcith 
doors.  This  refers  also  to  the  act  of 
the  creation,  and  to  the  fact  that  God 
fixed  limits  to  the  raging  of  the  ocean. 
The  word  '  doors  '  is  used  here  rather 
to  denote  gates,  such  as  are  made  to 
shut  up  water  in  a  dam  The  He- 
brew word  properly  refers,  in  the  dual 
form  which  is  used  here  ('^1^^~'),to 
double  doors,  or  to  folding  doors,  and 
is  also  applied  to  the  gates  of  a  city, 
Deut.  iii.  5.  1  Sam.  xxiii.  7.  Isa.  xlv.  1. 
The  idea  is,  that  the  floods  were 
bursting  forth  from  the  abyss  or  the 
.centre  of  the  earth,  and  were  check- 
ed by  placing  gates  or  doors  which 
restrained  them.  Whether  this  is 
designed  to  be  a  poetic  or  a  real  de- 
scription of  what  took  place  at  the 
creation,  it  is  not  easy  to  determine'. 
Nothing  forbids  the  idea  that  some- 
thing like  this  may  have  occurred 
when  the  waters  in  the  earth  were 
pouring  forth  tumultuously,  and  when 
they  were  restrained  by  obstructions 
placed  there  by  the  hand  of  God,  as 
if  he  had  made  gates  througii  which 
they  could  pass  only  when  he  should 
open  them.  This  supposition  also 
woukl  accord  well  with  the  account 
of  the  flood  in  Gen.  vii.  11,  where  it 
is  said  that  '  the  fountains  of  the  great 
deep  were  broken  up,'  as  if  those 
flood-gates  had  been  opened,  or  the 
obstructions  which  God  had  placed 
there  had  been  sufl'ered  to  be  broken 
through,  and  the  waters  of  their  own 
accord  flowed  over  the  world.  We 
know  as  yet  too  little  of  the  interior 
of  the  earth,  to  ascertain  whether  this 
is  to  be  understood  as  a  literal  de- 
scription of  what  actually  occurred. 
IT  When  it  brake  forth,  as  if  it  had  is- 
sued out  of  the  womb.  Ail  the  images 
here  are  taken  from  child-birth.    The 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


2U 


9  When  I  made  the  cloud  the 
garment  thereof,  and  thick  dark- 
ness a  swaddling-band  for  it, 

1  established  my  decree  upon  it. 

ocean  is  represented  as  being  born, 
iind  then  as  invested  with  clouds  and 
darkness  as  its  covering  and  its  swad- 
dling-bands. The  image  is  a  bold 
one,  and  I  do  not  know  that  it  is  any 
where  else  applied  to  the  formation 
ot* the  ocean. 

'J.  When  I  made  the  cloud  the  gar- 
ment thereof.  Referring  to  the  gar- 
ment in  which  the  new-born  infant 
is  wrapped  up.  This  image  is  one  of 
great  beanty.  It  is  that  of  the  vast 
ocean  just  coming  into  being,  with  a 
cloud  resting  upon  it  and  co\ering  it. 
Thick  diirkness  envelopes  it,  and  it 
is  s\vathed  in  mists.  Comp.  Gen.  i. 
2,  "  And  darkness  was  upon  the  face 
of  the  deep."  The  time  here  referred 
to  is  that  before  the  light  of  the  sun 
arose  upon  the  earth,  before  the  dry 
land  appeared,  and  before  animals 
and  men  had  been  formed.  Then 
the  new-born  ocean  lay  carefull}-  en- 
veloped in  clouds  and  darkness  under 
the  guardian  care  of  God.  The  dark 
night  rested  upon  it,  and  the  mists 
hovered  over  it. 

10.  .ind  lira  he  up  for  it  my  decreed 
place.  Marg.  established  my  decree 
upon  it.  So  Herder,  "I  fixed  my 
decrees  upon  it.'  Luther  renders  it, 
"Da  ich  ihm  den  Lauf  brach  mit 
meinem  Damm  " — 'then  I  broke  its 
course  with  my  barrier.'  Umbreit 
renders  it,  "  I  measured  out  to  it  my 
limits  ;"  that  is,  the  limits  or  bounds 
which  I  judged  to  be  proper.  So  the 
Vulgate,  Cireumdedi  iUud  tcrminis 
meis — "  I  surrounded  it  with  my  lim- 
its," or  with  such  limits  as  I  chose  to 
affix.  The  LXX  render  it,  "  I  placed 
boundaries  to  it."  Coverdale,  "  I 
gave  it  my  commandment."  This  is 
undoubtedly  the  sense  which  the 
connection  demands  ;  and  the  idea  in 
the  common  version,  that  God  had 
broken  up  his  fixed  plans  in  order  to 
accommodate  the  new-born  ocean,  is 
not  in  accordance  with  the  parallel- 


10  And  '  brake  up  for  it  my 
decreed  place,  and  set  bars  and 
doors, 

11  And  said,    Hitherto  shalt 

ism.  The  Hebrew  word  ("^3^)  indeed 
commonly  means  to  break,  to  break 
in  pieces.  But,  according  to  Gese- 
nius,  and  as  the  place  here  demands, 
it  may  have  the  sense  of  measuring 
off,  defining,  appointing,  "  from  the 
idea  of  breaking  into  portions  ;"  and 
then  the  sense  will  be,  "I  measured 
for  it  [the  sea]  my  aj)pointed  bound.' 
This  meaning  of  the  word  is,  how- 
ever, more  probably  derived  from  the 

Arabic,  where  the  word  W>_vu,  shahtir, 

means  to  measure  with  the  span  (Cas- 
tcll),  and  hence  the  idea  here  of 
measuring  out  the  limits  of  the  ocean. 
The  sense  is,  that  God  jncasured  out 
or  determined  the  limits  of  the  sea. 
The  idea  of  hreahing  up  a  limit  or 
boundary  which  had  been  before  . 
fixed,  it  IS  believed,  is  not  in  the  text. 
The  word  rendered  '  my  decreed 
place  '  (^i^f^)  refers  commonly  to  a 
law,  statute,  or  ordinance,  meaning 
originally  any  thing  that  was  en- 
graved (Pi^l^),  and  then,  because 
laws  were  engraved  on  tablets  of 
brass  or  stone,  any  statute  or  decree. 
Hence  it  means  any  thing  prescribed 
or  appointed,  and  hence  a  bound,  or 
limit.  See  Notes  on  ch.  xxvi.  iO; 
comp.  Prov.  viii.  29,  "  When  he  gave 
to  the  sea  his  decree  (IpH)  that  the 
waters  should  ifot  pass  his  command- 
ment." The  idea  in  the  passage  be- 
fore us  is,  that  God  fixed  the  limits 
of  the  ocean  by  his  own  purpose  or 
pleasure.  IT  And  .set  bars.  Doors 
were  formerly  fastened,  as  they  are 
often  now,  by  cross-bars ;  and  the 
idea  here  is,  that  God  had  inclosed 
the  ocean,  and  so  fastened  the  doors 
whence  it  would  issue  out,  that  it 
could  not  pass. 

11.  .^nd  said,  Hitherto  shalt  thou 
come.     This  is    a    most    sublime  ex 
pression,  and  its  full  force  can  be  felt 
only   by  one   who  has  stood   on   the 


216 


JOB. 


thou  come,  but  no  further  ;  and 
here  shall  '  thy  proud  waves  be 
stayed  ?  " 

12  Hast  thou  commanded  the 
morning    since    thy    days  ;   and 

1  the  pride  of  thy  waves. 
a  Ps.  89.  9.  2  wings. 

shores  of  the  ocean,  and  seen  its 
mighty  waves  roll  towards  the  beach 
as  if  in  their  pride  they  would  sweep 
every  thing  away,  and  how  they 
arc  checked  by  the  barrier  which 
God  has  made.  A  voice  seems  to 
say  to  tliem  that  they  may  roll  in 
their  pride  and  grandeur  so  far,  but 
no  farther.  No  increase  of  their  force 
or  numbers  can  sweep  the  barrier 
away,  or  make  any  impression  on  the 
limits  which  God  has  fixed.  If  Jlnd 
here  shall  thy  proud  tcaves  be  stayed. 
Marg.  as  in  Heb.,  the  pride  of  thy 
waves.  A  beautiful  image.  The 
waves  seem  to  advance  in  pride  and 
self-confidence,  as  if  nothing  could 
stay  them.  They  come  as  if  exulting 
in  the  assurance  that  they  will  sweep 
every  thing  away.  In  a  moment 
they  are  arrested  and  broken,  and 
they  spread  out  humbly  and  harm- 
lessly on  the  beach.  God  fixes  the 
limit  which  they  are  not  to  pass,  and 
they  lie  prostrate  at  his  feet. 

12.  Hast  thou  commanded  the  morn- 
ing since  thy  days.  That  is,  in  thy 
lifetime  hast  tliou  ordered  tlie  light 
of  the  morning  to  shine,  and  directed 
Its  beams  over  the  world  .''  God  ap- 
peals to  this  as  one  of  the  proofs  of 
his  majesty  and  power — and  who  can 
look  upon  the  spreading  light  of  the 
morning  and  be  insensible  to  the 
force  and  beauty  of  the  appeal  .'  The 
transition  from  the  ocean  to  the 
morning  may  have  been  parti}'  be- 
cause the  light  of  the  morning  is 
one  of  the  striking  exhibitions  of  the 
power  of  God,  and  partly  because  in 
the  creation  of  the  world  the  light  of 
the  sun  was  made  to  dawn  soon  after 
the  gathering  together  of  the  waters 
into  seas.  See  Gen.  i.  10,  14.  The 
phrase  "since  thy  days,"  implies 
that  the  laws  determining  the  rising 


caused  the  day-spring  to  know 
his  place  ; 

13  That  it  might  take  hold  of 
the  ends  '^of  the  earth,  that  the 
wicked  might  be  shaken  out  of 
it  ? 


of  the  sun  were  fixed  long  before  the 
time  of  Job.  It  is  asked  whether 
this  had  been  done  since  he  had  an 
existence,  and  whether  he  had  an 
agency  in  effecting  it — implying  that 
it  was  an  ancient  and  established  ordi- 
nance long  before  he  was  born.  If 
Caused  the  day-spring  to  know  his 
place.  The  "day-spring"  ("in'l') 
means  the  aurora,  the  dawn,  the 
morning.  The  mention  of  its  '■'■place'' 
here  seems  to  be  an  allusion  to  the 
fact  that  it  does  not  always  occupy 
the  same  position.  At  one  season  of 
the  year  it  appears  on  the  equator,  at 
another  north,  and  at  another  south 
of  it,  and  is  constantly  varying  its 
position.  Yet  it  always  knows  its 
place.  It  never  fails  to  appear  where 
by  the  long-observed  laws  it  ought  to 
appear.  It  is  regular  in  its  motions, 
and  is  evidently  under  the  control  of 
an  intelligent  Being,  who  has  fixed 
the  laws  of  its  appearing. 

13.  That  it  might  take  hold  of  the 
e)ids  of  the  earth.  Marg.  as  in  Heb. 
icings.  Wings  are  in  the  Scriptures 
frequently  given  to  the  earth,  because 
it  seems  to  be  spread  out,  and  the  ex- 
pression refers  to  its  extremities.  The 
language  is  derived  from  tlie  suppo- 
sition tliat  the  earth  was  a  plain,  and 
had  limits  or  bounds.  The  idea  here 
is,  that  God  causes  the  ligiit  of  the 
morning  suddenly  to  spread  to  the 
remotest  parts  of  the  world,  and  to 
reveal  every  thing  which  was  there. 
11  That  the  wiched  might  be  shaken 
out  of  it.  Out  of  the  earth  ;  that  is, 
by  the  light  which  suddenly  shines 
upon  them.  The  sense  is,  that  the 
wicked  perform  their  deeds  in  the 
darkness  of  the  night,  and  that  in  the 
morning  light  they  flee  away.  The 
effect  of  the  light  coming  upon  them 
is  to  disturb   their  plans,  to  fill  them 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


217 


14  It  is  turned  as  clay  to  llie 


\\h\\  alarm,  and  to  cause  thein  to 
llt'c.  The  idea  is  hiirlily  poetic.  The 
wiiked  are  eiigi'.ged  in  various  acts  of 
iiiiiiuity  under  cover  of  the  night. 
I{i)ljbers,  thieves,  and  adulterers,  go 
P)rlh  to  tlieir  deeds  of  darkness  as 
though  no  one  saw  them.  Tlse  light 
of  tlie  morning  steals  suddenly  upon 
liieai,  anil  they  ilee  before  it  under 
the  apprehension  of  being  detected. 
"The  dawn,"  says  Herder,  "  is  re- 
presented as  a  watchman,  a  messen- 
ger of  the  Prince  of  heaven,  sent  to 
chase  away  the  bands  of  robbers."  It 
may  illustrate  this  to  observe  that  it 
is  still  the  custom  of  the  Arabs  to  go 
on  plundering  excursions  before  the 
dawn.  When  on  their  way  this 
faithful  watchman,  the  aurora,  goes 
out  to  spread  liglit  about  them,  to  in- 
timidate th.em,  and  to  disperse  them. 
Comp.  Notes  on  ch.  xxiv.  33-17. 

14.  It  is  turned  m  clay  to  the  seal. 
A  great  variety  of  interpretations  has 


seal  ;  and  they  stand  as  a  gar- 
ment. 

been  given  to  this  passage.  Schultens 
enumerates  no  less  than  twentij,  and 
of  course  it  is  not  easy  to  determine 
the  meaning.  The  LXX  render  it, 
"  Didst  thou  take  clay  of  the  earth, 
and  form  an  animal,  and  place  on  the 
earth  a  creature  endowed  with 
speech  V  Though  tliis  would  agree 
well  with  the  connection,  yet  it  is  a 
wide  departure  from  the  Hebrew. 
The  reference  is,  undoubtedly,  to 
some  effect  or  impression  produced 
upon  the  earth  by  the  light  of  the 
morning,  wliich  bears  a  resemblance, 
in  some  respects,  to  the  imprcs.^ion 
produced  on  claj'  iiy  a  seal.  I'robaljly 
the  idea  is,  that  ihe  spreading  ligiit 
serves  to  render  visible  and  promi- 
nent the  forms  of  things,  as  the  seal 
when  impressed  on  clay  produces 
certain  figures.  The  following  cut, 
representing  ancient  seals,  may  ena- 
ble us  the  better  to  understand  the 
passage  : 


a,  Babylonian,  i,  b,  Egyptian  Seals,  c,  c,  wax  impressions  from  them. 


In  this  cut  it  will  be  seen  that  one 
form  of  the  seal  (the  Baybylonian,  a) 
was  an  engraved  cylinder,  fixed  on 
an  axle,  with  a  handle  in  the  manner 
of  a  garden  roller,  which  produced 
the  impression  hij  beino-  rolled  on  the 
M>ftened  uuix.  Mr.  Rich  (Second 
VOL.  II.  10 


Memoir  on  the  Ruins  of  Babylon,  p. 
59)  remarks,  "  The  Babylonian  cylin- 
ders are  among  the  most  interesting 
and  remarkable  ofthe  antiques.  They 
are  from  one  to  three  inches  in  length  ; 
some  are  of  stone,  and  others  appa- 
rently   of  paste    or    composition     of 


218 


JOB. 


various  kinds.  Sculptures  from  sev- 
eral of  these  cylinders  have  been 
published  in  different  works.  Some 
of  them  liave  cuneiform  writing"  [or 
the  "  arrow-headed"  character,  p.  48), 
"  but  it  has  the  remarkable  peculiarity 
that  it  is  reversed,  or  written  from 
riglit  to  left,  every  other  kind  of 
cuneiform  writing  being  incontestably 
to  be  read  from  left  to  right.  This 
can  only  be  accounted  for  by  sup- 
posing   that    they    were    intended  to 


roll  off  impressions.  The  cylinders 
are  said  to  be  chiefly  found  in  the 
ruins  of  Jabouiga.  The  people  of 
this  country  are  fond  of  using  them 
as  amulets,  and  the  Persian  pilgrims 
who  come  to  the  shrines  of  Ali  and 
Hossein  frequently  carry  back  with 
them  some  of  these  curiosities."  Th  e 
following  cut  will  furnish  an  idea  of 
the  impression  produced  by  one  of 
the  cylinder-seals  in  the  possession 
of  Mr.  Rich 


It  may  be  observed,  also,  in  the  ex- 
planation of  the  passage,  that  clay 
was  often  used  for  the  purpose  of  a 
seal  in  Oriental  countries.  The  man- 
ner in  which  it  was  used  was  to  daub 
a  mass  of  it  over  the  door  or  lock  of 
a  house,  a  caravansera,  a  room,  or 
any  place  where  any  thing  valuable 
was  deposited,  and  to  impress  upon  it 
a  rude  seal.  This  indeed  would  not 
make  the  goods  safe  fi-om  a  robber, 
but  it  would  be  an  indication  that  the 
place  is  not  to  be  entered,  and  show 
that  if  it  had  been  entered  it  was  by 
violence.  Comp.  Matth.  xxvii.  66. 
This  impression  on  clay  would  be 
produced  by  the  '  revolving'  or  Baby- 
lonian seal,  by  turning  it  abojd,  or 
rolling  it  on  clay,  and  thus  bringing 
the  figures  out  prominently,  and  tliis 
will  explain  the  passage  here.  The 
passing  of  the  light  over  the  eartli  in 
the  morning,  seems  to  be  like  rolling 
a  cylinder-seal  on  soft  clay.  It  leaves 
distinct  impressions  ;  raises  up  promi- 
nent figures;  gives  form  and  beauty 
to  what  seemed  befor;  a  dark,  undis- 


tinguished mass.  The  word  render- 
ed "  it  is  turned''  (T^QHriPl),  means 
properly  '  it  turns  itself — and  the 
idea  is  that,  like  the  revolving  seal, 
it  seems  to  roll  over  the  face  of  the 
earth,  and  to  leave  a  distinct  and 
beautiful  impression.  Before,  tlie 
face  of  the  earth  was  obscure.  Noth- 
ing, in  the  darkness  of  the  night, 
could  be  distinguished.  Now,  when 
the  dawn  arises  and  the  light  spreads 
ai)road,  the  figures  of  hills,  and  trees, 
and  tents,  and  cities,  rise  before  it  as 
if  a  seal  liad  been  rolled  on  yielding 
clay.  The  image  is  one,  therefore, 
of  high  poetic  character,  and  of  great 
beauty.  If  this  be  the  correct  inter- 
pretation, the  passage  does  not  refer 
to  the  revolution  of  the  earth  on  its 
a.xis,  or  to  any  change  in  appearance 
or  form  which  it  assumes  when  the 
wicked  are  shaken  out  of  it,  as  Schul- 
tens  supposes,  but  to  the  beautiful 
change  in  appearance  which  the  face 
of  the  eartii  seems  to  undergo  when 
the  aurora  passes  over  it.     IT  And  they 


Cll AFTER  XXXVIII. 


219 


15  And  from  the  wicked  their 
light  is  withholdeu,  and  the  high 
arm  "  shall  be  broken. 


a  Vs.  10.  15. 


stand  as  a  garment.  Tliis  passage  is 
perliaps  even  more  difficult  than  the 
former  part  of  tlie  verse.  Prof.  Lee 
renders  it,  "  Aud  that  men  be  set  up 
as  if  accoutred  for  battle,"  and  ac- 
cording to  him  the  idea  is,  that  men, 
when  tlie  light  shines,  set  themselves 
up  for  the  prosecution  of  their  de- 
signs. Coverdale  renders  it,  "  Their 
tokens  and  weapons  hast  thou  turned 
like  clay,  and  set  them  up  again  as 
the  changing  of  a  garment."  Grotius 
supposes  it  means  tiiat  things  by  the 
aurora  change  their  appearance  and 
color  like  a  variegated  garment.  The 
true  idea  of  the  passage  is  probably 
that  adopted  by  Schultens,  Herder, 
Unibreit,  RosenmUUer,  and  Noyes, 
that  it  refers  to  the  beautiful  appear 
ance  which  the  face  of  nature  seems  to 
put  on  when  the  morning  light  shines 
upon  tlie  world.  Before,  all  was  dark 
and  undistinguished.  Nature  seem- 
ed to  be  one  vast  blank,  with  no 
prominent  objects,  and  with  no  variety 
of  color.  When  the  light  dawns  on 
the  earth,  the  various  objects — the 
hills,  trees,  houses,  fields,  flowers, 
seem  to  stand  forth.,  or  to  raise  them- 
selves up  ('l^S^n'i)^  and  to  put  on  the 
appearance  ofgorgeous  and  variegated 
vestments.  It  is  as  if  the  earth  were 
clothed  with  beauty,  and  what  was 
before  a  vast  blank  were  now  array- 
ed in  splendid  vestments.  Thus  un- 
derstood, there  is  no  need  of  sup- 
posing that  garments  were  ever  made, 
as  has  been  sometimes  supposed, 
with  so  much  inwrought  silver  and 
gold  that  they  would  stand  upright 
themselves.  It  is  a  beautiful  concep- 
tion of  poetry — that  the  spreading 
light  si'ems  to  clothe  the  dark  world 
with  a  gorgeous  robe,  by  calling  forth 
the  objects  of  creation  from  the  dull 
and  dark  uniformiiy  of  niglit  to  the 
distinctness  of  day. 

15.  .ind  from  the  icicked  their  light 
is  loithholden.     While  the  light  thus 


10  Hast  thou  entered  into  the 
springs  of  the  sea  ?  or  hast  thou 
walked  in  the  search  of  the 
depth  ? 


spreads  over  the  earth,  rendering 
every  object  beautiful  and  blessing 
the  righteous,  light  and  prosperity 
are  witliheld  from  the  wicked.  See 
Notes  on  ch.  xxiv.  17.  Or,  the  mean- 
ing may  be,  that  when  the  light 
shines  upon  the  world,  the  wicked, 
accustomed  to  perform  their  deeds  in 
the  night,  flee  from  it,  and  retreat  to 
their  dark  hiding-places.  IT  /Ind  the 
high  arm.  Of  the  wicked.  The  arm 
is  a  symbol  of  strength.  It  is  that  by 
which  we  accomplish  our  purposes, 
and  the  idea  here  is,  tliat  the  haughty 
power  of  the  oppressor  shall  be 
crushed.  The  connection  here  seems 
to  be  this:  In  vs.  12-14,  there  is  a 
beautiful  description  of  the  light, -dud 
of  its  effects  upon  the  appearance  of 
natural  objects.  It  was  such  as  to 
clothe  the  world  with  beauty,  and  to 
fill  the  heart  of  the  pious  with  glad 
ness.  In  order  now  to  show  the 
greatness  of  the  punishment  of  the 
wicked,  it  is  added  that  all  this 
beauty  will  be  hidden  from  tliem. 
They  will  be  driven  away  by  the 
light  into  their  dark  hiding-places, 
and  will  be  met  there  with  the  with- 
drawal of  all  the  tokens  of  pros- 
perity, and  their  power  will  be 
crushed. 

16.  Hast  thou  entered  into  the  springs 
of  the  sea  ?  The  word  here  rendered 
springs  (T^^S),  occurs  nowhere  else 
in  the  Scriptures.  It  is  rendered  by 
the  Vulgate  profunda,  the  deep  parts  ; 
and  by  the  LXX  TTtjyiji' — fountains. 
The  reference  seems  to  be  to  the 
deep  fountains  at  the  bottom  of  tiie 
sea,  which  were  supposed  to  supply 
it  with  water.  A  large  portion  ot 
the  water  of  the  ocean  is  indeed  con- 
veyed to  it  by  rivers  and  streams  that 
run  on  the  surface  of  the  earth.  But 
it  is  known,  also,  that  there  are  foun- 
tains at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  and 
in  some  places  the  amount  of  water 
that  flows  from  them  is  so  great,  that 


220 


JOB. 


17  Have  the  gates  "  of  death 
been  opened  unto  thee  ?  or  hast 
thou  seen  the  doors  of  the  shadow 
of  death? 

its  action  is  perceptible  at  tlie  surface. 
One  such  fountain  exists  in  the  At- 
lantic ocean  near  the  coast  of  Florida. 
M  Or  hast  thou  icalkcd  in  the  search  of 
the  depth  ?  Or,  rather,  in  the  deep 
places  or  caverns  of  the  ocean.  The 
word  rendered  ^^  search"  here  ("^)^n)» 
means  searching^  inrestigation,  and 
then  an  object  that  is  to  he  searched 
out,  and  hence  that  which  is  obscure, 
remote,  hidden.  Then  it  may  be  ap- 
plied to  the  deep  caverns  of  the 
ocean,  or  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  This 
is  to  man  unsearchable.  No  line  has 
been  fotmd  long  enough  to  fathom 
the  ocean,  and  of  course  what  is  there 
is  unknown.  It  is  adduced,  there- 
fore, with  great  propriety  as  a  proof 
of  the  wisdom  of  God,  that  he  could 
look  on  the  deep  caverns  of  the 
ocean,  and  was  able  to  search  out  all 
that  was  there.  A  sentiment  similar 
to  this  occurs  in  Homer,  when  speak- 
ing of  Atlas  : 

Yla^rti  fiivOia  alSei'.  Odys.  i.  5. 

"  Who  knows  the  depths  of  every  sea," 

17.  Have  the  gates  of  death  been 
opened  unto  thee  ?  That  is,  the  gates 
of  the  wofld  where  death  reigns  ;  or 
the  gates  that  lead  to  the  abodes  of 
the  dead.  The  allusion  here  is  to 
SheoJ,  or  Hades,  the  dark  abodes  of 
the  dead.  This  was  supposed  to  be 
beneath  the  ground,  and  was  entered 
by  the  grave,  and  was  inclosed  by 
gates  and  bars.  See  Notes  on  ch.  x. 
21,  22.  The  transition  from  the  re- 
ference to  the  bottom  of  the  sea  to  the 
regions  of  the  dead  was  natural,  and 
the  mind  is  carried  forward  to  a  sub- 
ject farther  beyond  the  ken  of  mor- 
tals than  even  the  unfathomable 
depths  of  the  ocean.  The  idea  is, 
that  God  saw  all  that  occurred  in  that 
dark  world  beneath  us,  where  the 
dead  were  congregated,  and  that  his 
vast  superiority  to  man  was  evinced 
by  his  being  able  thus  to  penetrate 


18  Hast  thou  perceived  the 
breadth  of  the  earth  1  declare,  if 
thou  knowest  it  all. 


a  Ps.  9.  13. 


into,  and  survey  those  hidden  regions 
It  is  common  in  the  classic  writers  to 
represent  those  regions  as  entered  by 
gates.     Thus  Lucretius,  i.  1105, 

Hacc  rebus  erit  pars  janua  leti, 

Ilae  36  turba  foras  dabit  omnis  niaterai. 

'•  Tlie  doors  of  death  are  ope. 

And  the  vast  whole  unbounded  ruin  whelms." 

Good. 

So  Virgil,  ^n.  ii.  661, 

Patet  isti  janua  leto. 

"  The  door  of  death  stands  open.'' 

TT  Or  hast  thou  seen  the  doors  of  the 
shadoin  of  death  ^  The  doors  which 
lead  down  to  the  gloomy  realms 
where  death  spreads  its  dismal  shades. 
This    expression    is    more    emphatic 

than  the  former,  for  the  word  ^.']'9^-^ 
— tzalmaveth,  '  shadow  of  death,'  is 
more  intensive  in  its  meaning  than 
the  word  ^V^ — viavcth,  'death.' 
There  is  the  superadded  idea  of  a  deep 
and  dismal  shadow  ;  of  profound  and 
gloom}'  darkness.  See  the  word  ex- 
plained in  the  Notes  on  ch.  iii.  5 
comp.  ch.  X.  21,  22.  Man  was  unable 
to  penetrate  those  gloomy  abodes  and 
to  reveal  what  was  there  ;  but  God 
saw  all  with  the  clearness  of  noon 
day. 

18.  Hastthou  perceived  the  breadth 
of  the  earth?  How  far  the  earth  ex 
tends.  To  see  the  force  of  this,  we 
must  remember  that  the  early  con- 
ception of  the  earth  was  that  it  was  a 
vast  plain,  and  that  in  the  time  ot 
Job  its  limits  were  unknown.  One 
of  the  earliest  and  most  olivious  in- 
quiries would  naturally  be.  What  was 
the  extent  of  the  eartli  .-'  By  uHiat 
was  it  boimded  ?  And  what  was  the 
character  of  the  regions  beyond  those 
which  were  then  known  .''  All  this 
was  hidden  from  man  at  that  time 
and  God,  therefore,  asks  with  em- 
phasis whether  Job  had  been  able  to 
determine  this  great  inquiry.  The 
knowledge  of  this  is  put  on  the  same 
foundation  as  that  of  the  depths  of 


CiJAPTi^ii  XXX v: II. 


V.>| 


19  Where  is  the  wa}'  xcfure 
light  dwelleth  1  and  as  for  dark- 
ness, where  is  the  place  thereof, 

20  That  thou  shouldest  take 
it  '  to  tlie  bound  thereof,  and  that 

1  or,  at. 

llie  sea,  and  of  the  dark  regions  of  tlie 
dead,  and  in  the  time  of  Job  the  one 
was  as  much  unknown  as  the  other. 
God,  who  knew  all  tliis,  must,  there- 
fore, be  infinitely  exalted  above  man. 
lit.  Where  is  the  iraij  where  Unlit 
(Iwclht/i  ?  Or,  rather,  where  is  tlie 
way  or  palh  to  tlie  place  where  light 
dwells.  Light  is  conceived  of  as 
coming  from  a  great  distance,  and  as 
having  a  place  wiiicli  might  be  re- 
garded as  its  home.  It  comes  in 
the  morning,  and  is  withdrawn  at 
evening,  and  it  seems  as  if  it  came 
from  some  far-distant  dwelling-place 
in  the  morning  to  illuminate  the 
world,  and  then  retired  to  its  home  in 
the  evening,  and  thus  gave  place  for 
darkness  to  visit  the  eartii.  The 
idea  is  this,  'Dost  thou  know,  when 
the  light  withdraws  from  the  world,  to 

I  what    place    it    betakes    itself  as    its 

home  ?  Canst  thou  follow  it  to  its 
distant  abodes,  and  tell  where  they 
are .''  And  when  the  sliadows  of 
night  come  forth  and  take  its  place, 
I  canst   thou    tell  whence   they  come  ; 

j  and  when   they  withdraw   again    in 

1^  the  morning,  canst  thou  follow  them, 

■  and  tell  where  they  are  congregated 
I  together  to  abide  ?  The  thought  is 
'  highly  poetic,  and  is  not  to  be  taken 
literally.  The  meaning  is,  that  God 
only  could  knov/  what  was  the  great 
fountain  of  light,  and  where  that 
was;  and  the  question  substantially 
may  be  asked  of  man  with  as  much 
force  and  propriety  now  as  in  the 
time  of  Job,  Wlio  knows  what  is 
the  great  fountain  of  light  to  the  uni- 
verse ?  Who  knows  what  light  is  f 
Who  can  explain  the  causes  of  its 
rapid  flight  from  world  to  world.'' 
Who  can  tell  what  supplies  it,  and 
prevents  it  from  being  exhausted  .•' 
vV'ho  hut  God,  after  all  the  discov- 
eries of  .-jcience,  can  fully  undersiand 


ihon  sliouldcst  know  the  paths  to 
the  house  thereof? 

21  Knowest  thou  it,  because 
thou  wast  then  born  ?  or  because 
the  number  of  thy  days  is  great? 


this  .''  II  .i«f/  as  for  diirhncss,  where 
is  the  place  thereof?  Darkness  here 
is  personified.  It  is  represented  as 
having  a  place  of  abode  ;  as  coming 
forth  to  take  the  place  of  light  when 
that  is  withdrawn,  and  again  as  re- 
tiring to  its  dwelling  when  the  light 
reappears. 

20.  That  thou  shouldest  take  it  to  the 
bound  thereof .  Marg.  "  or,  «<."  The 
sense  seems  to  be  this  :  God  asks  Job 
whether  he  was  so  well  acquainted 
with  the  sources  of  liglit,  and  the 
place  where  it  dwelt,  that  he  could 
take  it  under  his  guidance  and  recon- 
duct it  to  its  place  of  abode.  IT  Jlud 
that  thou  shouldest  know  the  paths  to  the 
house  thereof?  The  same  idea  is  re- 
peated here.  Liglit  has  a  home  ;  a 
place  of  abode.  It  was  far  distant — 
in  some  region  unknown  to  man. 
Did  Job  know  the  way  in  which  it 
came,  and  the  place  where  it  dwelt 
so  well,  that  he  could  conduct  it  back 
again  to  its  own  dwelling  ?  Umbreit, 
Noyes,  and  Herder,  suppose  that  this 
is  to  be  understood  ironically, 

"  For  thou  hast  reached  its  boundaries  ! 
For  thou  linowest  the  patli  to  its  dwelling  !" 

But  it  has  been  commonly  regarded 
as  a  question,  and  thus  understood  it 
accords  better  with  the  connection. 

21.  Knowest  thou  it,  because  thou 
wast  then  born?  This  may  either  be 
a  question,  or  it  may  be  spoken  iron- 
ically. According  to  the  former 
mode  of  rendering  it,  it  is  the  same 
as  asking  Job  whether  he  had  lived 
long  enough  to  understand  wJiere  the 
abode  of  light  was,  or  whether  he  had 
an  existence  when  it  was  created,  and 
knew  where  its  home  was  appointed. 
According  to  the  latter  mode,  it  is 
keen  sarcasm.  '  Thou  must  know 
all  this,  for  thou  art  so  old.  Thou 
hast  had  an  opportunity  of  observing 
all   this,  for  thou  hast  lived  through 


222 


JOB. 


22  Hast  thou  entered  into  the 
treasures  of  the   snow,   or   hast 

all  these  changes,  and  observed  all 
the  works  of  God."  This  latter 
method  of  interpreting  it  is  adopted 
by  Umbreit,  Herder,  Noyes,  Rosen- 
niilller,  and  Wemyss.  The  former, 
however,  seems  much  better  to  accord 
with  the  connection,  and  witii  the  dig- 
nity and  character  of  tlie  speaker.  It 
is  not  desirable  to  represent  God  as 
speaking  in  the  language  of  irony 
and  sai'casm,  unless  tlie  rules  of  inter- 
pretation imperatively  demand  it. 

22.  Hast  thou  entered  into  the  trea- 
sures of  s no  10  :'  Snow  is  liere  repre- 
sented as  something  which  is  laid  up 
like  treasure,  and  kept  in  reserve  for 
use  when  God  sliall  require  it.  Silver 
and  gold  were  thus  laid  up  for  occa- 
sions when  they  would  be  wanted, 
and  the  figurative  sentiment  here  is, 
that  snow  and  hail  were  thus  pre- 
served for  tlie  use  to  which  the  Al- 
mighty might  devote  tliem,  or  for 
those  great  occasions  when  it  would 
be  proper  to  bring  them  forth  to  exe- 
cute his  purposes.  Of  course,  it  was 
to  be  expected  that  God  would  speak 
in  the  language  wiiich  men  com- 
monly used  when  speaking  of  his 
works,  and  would  not  go  into  a  philo- 
sophical or  scientilic  explanation  of 
the  phenomena  of  nature.  His  object 
was  not  to  teach  science,  but  to  pro- 
duce a  solemn  impression  of  his  great- 
ness, and  that  is  secured  by  such  an 
appeal  whether  the  laws  of  nature 
are  understood  or  not.  The  simple 
appeal  to  Job  here  is,  whether  he 
could  explain  the  phenomena  of 
snow  and  hail  .'  Could  he  tell  how 
they  were  formed .''  Whence  they 
came  ?  Where  they  were  preserved, 
and  how  they  were  sent  forth  to  exe- 
cute the  purposes  of  God  ?  The  idea 
is,  that  all  that  pertained  to  the  snow 
was  distinctly  understood  by  God, 
and  that  these  were  facts  which  Job 
did  not  know  of,  and  which  he  could 
not  explain.     The  effect  of  time,  and 


thou  seen  tne  treasures  of  the 

hail, 

o  scientific  investigation,  in  this  as 
in  other  cases  to  which  reference  is 
made  in  this  book,  has  been  only  to 
increase  the  force  of  this  question. 
Tlie  effect  of  the  discoveries  which 
are  made  in  the  works  of  God  is  not 
to  diminish  our  sense  of  his  wisdom 
and  majesty,  but  to  change  mere 
wonder  to  praise  ;  to  transform  blind 
amazement  to  intelligent  adoration. 
Every  new  discovery  of  a  law  of 
nature  is  fitted  more  to  impress  the 
mind  with  awe,  and  at  the  same  time 
it  becomes  the  basis  of  a  new  act  of 
intelligent  confidence  in  God.  This 
is  true  of  snoio  as  of  other  tilings.  In 
the  time  and  country  of  Job  it  came 
doubtless  from  the  north.  Vast  quan- 
tities seemed  to  be  poured  forth  from 
those  regions  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year,  as  if  it  were  reserved  there 
in  vast  store-houses,  or  treasuries. 
Science  has  however  told  us  that  it  is 
congealed  vapor,  formed  in  the  air  by 
tlie  vapor  being  frozen  there  before  it 
is  collected  into  drops  large  enough 
to  form  hail.  In  the  descent  of  the 
vapor  to  the  earth  it  is  frozen,  and 
descends  in  the  numerous  variety  of 
crystallized  forms  in  which  the  flakes 
appear.  Perhaps  there  is  nothing 
more  fitted  to  excite  pleasing  concep- 
tions of  the  wisdom  of  God — not 
even  the  variety  of  beauty  in  flowers 
— than  tlie  various  forms  of  crystals 
in  which  snow  appears.  Those  cr3's- 
tals  present  an  ahiiost  endless  variety 
of  forms.  Descartes  and  Dr.  Hook 
were  among  the  first  whose  minds 
seem  to  have  been  drawn  to  the 
figures  of  the  crystals  in  snow,  and 
since  their  investigations  the  subject 
has  excited  great  interest  in  others. 
Captain  Scoresby,  who  gave  much 
attention  to  this  subject  and  to  other 
arctic  phenomena,  has  given  a  deline- 
ation of  ninety-six  of  these  crystals, 
a  portion  of  whicli  will  be  found  in 
the  annexed  cut : 


I' 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

ipaiiji 


223 


He  adds,  "  The  extreme  beauty  and 
t'le  endless  variety  of  the  microscopic 
iihiects  perceived  in  tiie  animal  and 
veitetable  kingdoms,  are  perhaps  fully 
c'lnalled,  if  not  surpassed,  in  both 
larticulars  of  beauty  and  variety,  by 
(h;-  crystals  of  snow.  Tlie  principal 
'onfigurations  are  the  stelliform  and 
the  hexaironal  ;  though  almost  every 
variety  of  shape  of  which  the  genera- 
ting angle  of  60°  and  120^  are  sus- 
ceptihle,  may,  in  the  course  of  a 
fjw  years'  observation,  be  discovered. 


Some  of  *■  <:■  general  varieties  in  the 
figures  ol  the  crystals  may  be  referred 
to  the  temperature  of  the  air  ;  but  tiie 
particular  and  endless  niodihcatious 
of  the  same  classes  of  crystals  can 
only  be  referred  to  the  will  and  plea- 
sure of  the  First  Great  (^ause,  whose 
worlvs,  even  the  most  minute  and 
evanescent,  and  in  regions  the  most 
remote  from  human  observation,  are 
altogether  adniirahle."'  See  the  Eiliu- 
lnrr<rh  Eiinjclopccdia,  art.  Snuin.  IT  Or 
kasi  tkuii  srnn  the  treasures  nj' Ihn  luiiL 


224 


JOB. 


23  Which  "  I  have  reserved 
against  the  time  of  trouble,  a- 
gainst  the  day  of  battle  and  war  ? 

a  Ex.9   18,24.Jos.  10.  ]l.Is.3>l,30.  Rev.  Ki.a:. 

As  if  the  liuil  were  reserved  in  store- 
Jiouses,  like  tlie  weapons  of  war,  to  be 
called  forth  wlien  (Jod  sliould  please, 
in  order  to  execute  liis  purposes. 
Hail — so  well  known  in  its  nature 
and  form — consists  of  masses  of  ice 
or  frozen  vapor,  falling  from  the 
clouds  in  showers  or  storms.  These 
masses  consist  of  little  spherules  uni- 
ted, but  not  all  of  the  same  consist- 
ence ;  some  being  as  hard  and  solid 
r.s  perfect  ice,  others  soft  like  frozen 
snow.  Hail-stones  assume  various 
figures  ;  some  are  round,  others  angu- 
lar, others  pyramidal,  otiiers  flat,  and 
sometimes  they  are  stellated,  with 
six  radii,  like  crystals  of  snow.  Ency. 
as  quoted  in  Wchstei  's  Die.  Snow 
and  hail  are  formed  in  the  clouds 
when  they  are  at  an  elevation  where 
the  temperature  is  below  32°.  The 
particles  of  moisture  become  congeal- 
ed and  fall  to  the  earth.  When  the 
temperature  below  the  clouds  is  more 
than  32°,  the  flakes  of  snow  often 
melt,  and  descend  in  the  form  of  rain. 
IJut  hailstones,  from  their  greater  so- 
lidity and  more  rapid  descent,  often 
reach  the  earth  even  when  the  tem- 
perature is  much  higher;  and  hence 
we  have  storms  of  hail  in  the  sum- 
mer. The  difi'erence  in  the  formation 
of  snow  and  hail  is,  that  in  the  for- 
mer case  the  vapor  in  the  clouds  is 
congealed  before  it  is  collected  into 
drops  ;  in  the  case  of  hail,  the  vapor 
is  collected  into  drops  or  masses,  and 
then  frozen.  "  If  we  examine,"  says 
Afr.  Leslie,  "  the  slructuiu  of  a  hail- 
stone, we  shall  perceive  a  snowy  ker- 
nel encased  by  a  harder  crust.  It 
has  very  nearly  the  appearance  of  a 
drop  of  water  suddenl)^  frozen,  the 
particles  of  air  being  driven  t>om  the 
surface  towards  tiie  centre,  wliere 
thev  form  a  spongy  texture.  This 
circumstance  suggests  the  probable 
origin  of  hail,  which  is  perhaps  occa- 
sioned by  rain  falling  through  a  dry 
and  very  cold  stratum  of  air."    Edin. 


24  By  what  way  is  the  light 
parted,  w/iirh  seattereth  the  east 
wind  upon  the  earth  ? 


Encij.,  jirt.  Meteorologtj  All  the 
facts  about  the  formation  of  hail  were 
unknown  in  the  time  of  Job,  and 
hence  God  appeals  to  them  as  evi- 
dence of  his  superior  wisdom  and 
greatness,  and  in  proof  of  the  duty  of 
man  to  submit  to  him.  These  phenom- 
ena, which  were  conslantlj'  occurring, 
man  could  not  explain ;  and  how 
much  less  qualified,  therefore,  was 
he  to  sit  in  judgment  on  the  secret 
counsels  of  the  Almighty  !  The  j 
same  observation  may  be  made  now,  | 
for  though  science  has  done  some-  '' 
thing  to  explain  the  laws  by  which 
snow  and  hail  are  formed,  jet  those 
discoveries  have  tended  to  enlarge 
our  conceptions  of  the  wisdom  of  God, 
and  have  shown  us,  to  an  extent 
which  was  not  then  suspected,  how 
much  is  still  unknown.  We  see  a 
few  of  the  laws  bj'  which  God  does 
these  things,  but  who  is  prepared  to 
explain  these  laics  themselves.,  or  to 
tell  whij  and  hoic  the  particles  of  va- 
por arrange  themselves  into  such 
beautiful  crystallized  forms  .'' 

23.  Which  I  have  reserved.  As  W 
they  were  carefully  treasured  up  to  be 
brought  forth  as  they  shall  be  needed. 
The  idea  is,  that  they  were  entirely  i 

under  the  direction  of  God.  H  The 
time  of  trovhle.  Herder,  "the  time 
of  need."  The  meaning  probably  is, 
that  he  had  kept  theni  in  reserve  for 
the  time  when  he  wished  to  bring 
calamity  on  his  enemies,  or  that  he 
made  use  of  them  to  punish  his  foes. 
Conip.  Notes  on  ch.  xxxvi.  31-33.  V 
.^gainst  the  day  of  battle  and  var. 
Hailstones  were  employed  by  God 
sometimes  to  overwhelm  liis  foes,  and 
were  sent  against  them  in  time  o( 
battle.  See  Josh.  x.  11.  Ex.  ix.  22- 
26.  Ps.  xviii.  13,  14.  Comp.  Notes 
on  Isa.  xxix.  6. 

24.-  By  what  icay  is  the  light  -parttd. 
The  reference  here  is  to  the  light  ot 
the  morning,  that  seems  to  come  fr  >m 
one  point,  and  to  spread  itself  at  oni.t» 


CHAPTER  XXXVIll. 


225 


25  Who  liath  divided  a  water- 
course   fur    the    overflow-ing    of 

over  the  whole  earth.  It  seems  to  be 
collected  in  the  east,  or,  as  it  were, 
condensed  or  concentrated  there,  and 
then  to  diride  itself,  and  to  expand 
over  the  lace  of  the  world.  God  here 
Hsks  Job  whether  lie  could  explain 
this,  or  show  in  what  manner  it  was 
done.  This  was  one  of  the  subjects 
which  might  be  supposed  early  to  ex- 
cite iiujuirv,  and  is  one  which  can  be 
as  little  explained  now  as  then.  The 
causes  of  the  propagation  of  light, 
which  seems  to  proceed  from  a  centre 
and  to  spread  rapidly  in  every  direc- 
tion, are  perhaps  as  little  known  now 
as  they  were  in  the  time  of  Job. 
Philosophy  has  done  little  to  explain 
this,  and  the  mode  in  wliich  light  is 
made  to  travel  in  eight  minutes  from 
the  sun  to  the  earth — a  distance  of 
ninety  millions  of  miles — and  the 
manner  in  which  it  is  '  divided  '  or 
'  parted  '  from  that  great  centre,  and 
spread  over  the  solar  system,  is  as 
much  of  a  real  mystery  as  it  was  in 
the  days  of  Job,  and  the  question  pro- 
posed here  may  be  asked  now  with 
as  much  emphasis  as  it  was  then.  IT 
Which  scattcreth  the  east  wind  upon 
the  earth.  According  to  this  transla- 
tion, the  idea  would  be  that  somehow 
light  is  the  cause  of  the  east  wind. 
But  it  may  be  doubted  whether  this 
is  the  true  interpretation,  and  whether 
it  is  meant  to  be  atfirmed  that  light 
has  any  agency  in  causing  the  wind 
to  blow^     Herder  renders  it, 

"  When  doth  the  light  divide  itself, 
When  the  east  wind  strevvuth  it  upon  the 
eirthr" 

According  to  this,  the  idea  would  be 
that  the  light  of  the  morning  seemed 
to  be  borne  along  by  the  wind.  Uin- 
hreit  renders  it,  "  Where  is  the  way 
upon  which  the  east  wind  flows  forth 
upon  the  earth  .'"  That  is,  the  east 
wind,  like  the  light,  comes  from  a 
certain  point,  and  seems  to  spread 
abroad  over  the  world  ;  and  the  ques- 
tion is,  whether  Job  could  explain 
this  .'  This  interpretation  is  adopted 
by    Rosenmaller    and     Noyes,    and 


waters  ;   or  a  way  for  the  light- 
ning of  thunder ; 

seems  to  be  demanded  by  the  paral 
lelism,  and  by  the  nature  of  the  case. 
The  cause  of  the  rapid  spreading  of 
the  wind  from  a  certain  point  of  the 
compass,  was  involved  in  as  much 
obscurity  as  the  propagation  of  the 
light,  nor  is  that  cause  much  better 
understood  now.  There  is  no  reason 
to  suppose  that  the  spread  of  the  lighJ 
has  any  particular  agency  in  causing 
the  east  wind,  as  our  common  version 
seems  to  suppose,  nor  is  that  idea 
necessarily  in  the  Hebrew  text.  The 
east  wind  is  mentioned  here  either 
because  the  light  comes  from  the  east, 
and  the  wind  from  that  quarter  was 
more  naturally  suggested  than  any 
other,  or  because  the  east  wind  was 
remarkable  for  its  violence.  The 
idea  that  a  strong  east  wind  was 
somehow  connected  with  the  dawn 
of  day  or  the  rising  of  the  sun,  was 
one  that  prevailed  at  least  to  some 
extent  among  the  ancients.  Thus 
Catullus  (Ixiv.  270,  seq.)  says  : 

Hie  qualis  flatu  placidum  mare  matutino 
Horritkans  zcphyrus  proclivag  incitat  undas 
Aurora  e.'^orienle.  vagi  sub  lumina  solis. 

25.  Jflio  hath  divided  a  icater-courst 
for  the  overf  Dicing  of  icaters.  Thai 
is,  for  the  waters  that  flow  down 
from  the  clouds.  The  idea  seems  to 
be  this,  that  the  waters  of  heaven,  in- 
stead of  pouring  down  in  floods,  or 
all  coming  down  together,  seemed  to 
flow  in  certain  canals  formed  for 
them  ;  as  if  they  had  been  cut  out 
through  the  clouds  for  that  purpose. 
The  causes  of  rain,  the  manner  in 
which  water  was  suspended  in  the 
clouds,  and  the  reasons  why  the  rain 
did  not  come  down  altogether  in 
floods,  early  attracted  attention,  and 
gave  occasion  to  investigation.  The 
subject  is  more  than  once  referred  to 
in  this  book.  See  Notes  on  ch.xxvi. 
8.  \\  Or  a  icay  for  the  lightning  of 
thunder.  For  the  thunder-flash.  The 
idea  is  this  :  a  path  seems  to  be  open- 
ed in  the  dark  cloud  for  the  passage 
of  the  flash  of  lightning.  How  such 
a  patli  was  made,  by  what  agency  or 


226 


JOB. 


26  To  cause  it  to  rain  "■  on 
the  earth,  tohere  no  man  is  ;  on 
the  wilderness,  wherein  there  is 
no  man  . 

27  To    satisfy  ''  tlie   desolate 

a  Ps.  147.  8.  Je.  14.  22.  b  ?s.  107.  35. 

by  what  laws,  was  the  question  pro- 
posed for  inquiry.  Tiie  lightning 
seemed  at  once  to  burst  thrdiigh  the 
dark  cloud  where  there  wiis  no  open- 
ing and  no  sign  of  a  paili  before,  and 
pursue  its  zig-zi^  jf-nrne)'  as  if  all 
obstructions  were  removed,  and  it 
passed  over  a  beaten  path.  The 
question  is,  Who  could  have  traced 
out  this  path  for  the  thunder-flash  to 
go  in  .''  Who  could  do  it  but  the  Al- 
mighty ?  And  still,  with  all  the  light 
that  science  has  cast  on  the  subject, 
we  may  repeat  the  question. 

26.  To  cause  it  to  rain  on  the  earth, 
where  no  man  is.  This  is  designed 
to  heighten  the  conception  of  the 
power  of  God.  It  could  not  be  pre- 
tended that  this  was  done  by  man, 
for  the  rain  was  caused  to  full  in  the 
desolate  regions  where  no  one  dwelt. 
In  the  lonely  desert,  in  the  wastes 
remote  from  the  dwellings  of  men, 
the  rain  is  sent  down,  evidently  by 
the  providential  care  of  God,  and  far 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  agency  of 
man.  There  is  very  great  beauty  in 
this  whole  description  of  God  as 
superintending  the  falling  rain  far 
away  from  the  abodes  of  men,  and  in 
those  lonely  wastes  pouring  down  the 
waters,  that  the  tender  herb  may 
spring  up,  and  the  flowers  bloom  un- 
der his  hand.  AH  this  may  seem  to 
be  irastcd,  but  it  is  not  so  in  the  eye 
of  God.  Not  a  drop  of  rain  falls  in 
the  sandy  desert  or  on  the  barren 
rock,  ho^vever  useless  it  may  seem  to 
be,  that  is  not  seen  to  be  of  value  by 
God,  and  that  is  not  designed  to  ac- 
complish some  important  purpose 
there. 

27.  To  satisfy  the  desolate  and  icostc 
ground.  As  if  it  lifted  an  imploring 
voice  to  God,  and  he  sent  down  tlie 
rain  to  satisfy  it.  The  desert  is  thus 
iike  a  thirstv  pilgrim.     It  is  parched, 


and  waste  ground ;  and  to  cause 
the  bud  of  the  tender  herb  to 
spring  forth  ? 

28  Hath  the  rain  a  father  1  or 
who  hath  begotten  the  drops  of 
dew  ? 

and  thirsty,  and  sad,  and  it  appeals  to 
God,  and  he  meets  its  wants,  and 
satisfies  it.  IT  Or  to  cause  the  hud  oj 
the  tender  herb  to  spring  forth.  In 
the  desert.  There  God  works  alone. 
No  man  is  there  to  cultivate  the  ex- 
tended wilds,  and  yet  an  unseen 
agency  is  going  forward.  The  grass 
springs  up  ;  the  bud  opens  ;  the  leaf 
expands ;  the  flowers  breathe  forth 
their  fragrance  as  if  they  were  under 
the  most  careful  cultivation.  All 
this  must  be  the  work  of  God,  since 
it  cannot  even  be  pretended  that  man 
is  there  to  produce  these  effects. 
Perhaps  one  would  be  more  deeply 
impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  pres 
ence  of  God  in  the  pathless  desert,  or 
on  the  boundless  prairie,  where  no 
man  is,  than  in  the  most  splendid 
park,  or  the  most  tastefully  cuhivated 
garden  which  man  could  make.  In 
the  one  case,  the  hand  of  God  alone 
is  seen  ;  in  the  other,  we  are  con 
stantly  admiring  the  skill  of  man. 

28.  Hath  the  rain  a  father  ?  That 
is,  it  is  produced  by  God  and  not  by 
man.  No  one  among  men  can  claim 
that  he  causes  it,  or  can  regard  it  as 
his  offspring.  The  idea  is,  that  the 
production  of  rain  is  among  the 
proofs  of  the  wisdom  and  agency  of 
God,  and  that  it  is  caused  in  a  way 
that  demonstrates  his  own  agency. 
It  is  not  b}'  any  power  of  man  ;  and 
it  is  not  in  such  a  way  as  to  constitute 
a  relation  like  that  between  a  father 
and  a  son.  The  rain  is  often  appeal- 
ed to  in  this  bock  as  something  whose 
cause  man  could  not  explain,  and  as 
demonstrating  the  wisdom  and  su- 
premac}'  of  God.  Among  philoso- 
phic and  contemplative  minds  it 
would  early  excite  inquiry,  and  give 
occasion  for  v/onder.  What  caused 
it .''  Whence  came  the  water  which 
fell.'     How  was  it  suspended.?     How 


CHAPTER  XXXVIIT. 


227 


was  it  borne  from  place  to  place  ? 
Mow  was  it  made  to  descend  in  drops, 
and  why  was  it  not  poured  down  at 
once  in  Hoods  ?  Questions  like  these 
would  eurly  excite  inquiry,  and  we 
ttre  not  to  suppose  that  in  the  time  of 
Job  science  was  so  far  advanced  that 
they  could  be  answered.  See  IVotes 
on  ch.\xvi.8.  Comp.  ver.  37  of  this 
chapter.  The  laws  of  the  production 
of  rain  are  now  better  understood, 
but  like  all  other  laws  discovered  by 
science,  they  are  adapted  to  elevate, 
not  to  diminish,  our  conceptions  of 
the  wisdom  of  God.  It  may  be  of 
interest,  and  may  serve  to  explain 
the  passages  in  tliis  book  whicii  refer 
to  rain,  as  illustrating  the  wisdom  of 
God,  to  state  what  is  now  the  com- 
monly received  theory  of  its  cause. 
That  theory  is  the  one  proposed  by 
Dr.  James  Hutton,  and  first  published 
in  the  Philosophical  Transactions  of 
Edinburgh,  in  1784.  In  this  theory 
it  is  supposed  that  the  cause  consists 
in  the  vapor  that  is  held  dissolved  in 
the  air,  and  is  based  on  this  principle 
— that  the  capacity  of  the  air  for  hold- 
ing water  in  a  state  of  vapor  increases 
in  a  greater  ratio  than  its  tempera- 
ture ;  that  is,  that  if  there  are  two 
portions  of  air  which  would  contain 
acertain  quantity  of  water  in  solution 
if  both  were  heated  in  an  equal  de- 
gree, the  capacity  for  holding  water 
would  be  alike  ;  but  if  one  of  them 
be  heated  more  than  the  other,  the 
amount  of  water  which  it  would  hold 
in  solution  is  not  exactly  in  proportion 
to  the  heat  applied,  but  increases 
much  more  rapidly  than  the  heat.  It 
will  hold  much  more  water  when 
the  temperature  is  raised  than  is  pro- 
portionate to  the  amount  of  heat  ap- 
plied. From  the  experiments  which 
were  made  by  Saussure  and  others,  it 
was  found  that  while  the  temperature 
of  the  air  rises  in  arithmetical  pro- 
gression, the  dissolving  power  of  the 
air  increases  nearly  in  geometrical 
progression  ;  that  is,  if  the  tempera- 
ture be  represented  by  the  figures  2, 
4,6,8,10,  &c.,  the  capacity  for  hold- 
ing moisture  will  be  nearly  repre- 
sented by  the  figures  2,  8,  16,  32,  64, 


&c.  Rain  is  caused  \n  the  following 
manner.  When  two  portions  of  air 
of  different  temperature,  and  each 
saturated  with  moisture,  are  inter- 
mixed, the  quantity  of  moisture  in 
the  air  thus  intermixed,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  decrease  oftemperature, 
will  be  greater  than  the  air  will  con- 
tain in  solution,  and  will  be  condens- 
ed in  a  cloud  or  precipitated  to  the 
earth.  This  law  of  nature  was  of 
course  unknown  to  Job,  and  is  an 
arrangement  which  could  have  been 
formed  only  by  the  all-wise  Author 
of  nature.  See  Edin.  Ency.,  Jirt.  Me- 
teorology, p.  181.  H  Or  irho  hath  be- 
gotten the  drops  of  the  dew  ?  Who 
has  produced  them — implying  that 
they  were  caused  only  by  the  agency 
of  God.  No  one  among  mortals  could 
claim  that  he  had  caused  the  dew  to 
fall.  God  appeals  to  the  deio  here, 
the  causes  of  which  were  then  un- 
known, as  an  evidence  of  his  wisdom 
and  supremacy.  Dew  is  moisture 
condensed  from  the  atmosphere,  and 
tliat  settles  on  the  earth.  It  usually 
falls  in  clear  and  calm  nights,  and  is 
caused  by  a  reduction  of  the  tempe- 
rature of  that  on  which  the  dew  falls. 
Objects  on  the  surface  of  the  earth 
become  colder  than  the  atmosphere 
above  them,  and  the  consequence 
is,  that  the  moisture  that  was  sus- 
pended in  the  atmosphere  near  the 
surface  of  the  earth  is  condensed — in 
the  same  way  as  in  a  hot  day  moist- 
ure will  form  on  the  outside  of  a 
tumbler  or  pitcher  that  is  filled  with 
water.  The  coldness  of  the  vessel 
containing  the  water  condenses  the 
moisture  that  was  suspended  in  the 
surrounding  atmosphere.  The  cold, 
therefore,  which  accompanies  dew, 
precedes  instead  of  following  it.  The 
reason  why  the  surface  of  the  earth 
becomes  cooler  than  the  surrounding 
atmosphere  at  night,  so  as  to  form 
dew,  has  been  a  subject  of  considera- 
ble inquiry.  The  theory  of  Dr.  Wells, 
which  is  now  commonly  adopted,  is, 
thnt  the  earth  is  continually  radiating 
its  heat  to  the  high  and  colder  regions 
of  the  atmosphere  ;  that  in  the  day- 
time the  effects  of  this  radiation  are 


228 


JOB. 


29  Out  of  wliose  womb  came 
the  ice  ?  and  the  hoary  frost  "  of 
heaven,  who  hath  gendered  it  ? 

30  The  waters  are  hid  as  with 

a  ch.  37.  10.  1  tahcn. 

2  Ciniah,  or  the  seven  stars. 

not  sensible,  being  more  than  coun- 
terbalanced by  the  greater  influx  of 
heat  from  the  direct  influence  of  tiie 
sun  ;  but  that  during  the  night,  vvlien 
the  counteracting  cause  is  removed, 
tiiese  ert'ects  become  sensible,  and 
produce  the  reduction  of  temperature 
which  causes  dew.  The  surface  of  the 
earth  becomes  cool  by  the  heat  which 
is  radiated  to  the  upper  regions  of  the 
atmosphere,  and  the  moisture  in  the 
air  adjacent  to  the  surface  of  the  earth 
is  condensed.  Tliis  ocoirs  only  in  a 
clear  and  calm  night.  When  the  sky 
is  cloudy,  the  clouds  operate  as  a 
screen.,  and  the  radiation  of  the  heat 
to  the  higher  regions  of  the  atmos- 
phere is  prevented,  and  the  surface 
of  the  earth  and  the  surrounding  at- 
mosphere are  kept  at  the  same  tem- 
perature. See  the  Edin.  Encij..,  Art. 
Meteorology.,  pp.  18-5-188.  Of  course, 
tliese  laws  were  unknown  to  Job,  but 
now  that  they  are  known  to  us,  they 
constitute  not  less  properly  a  proof  of 
the  wisdom  of  God. 

29.  Out  of  whose  womb  came  the 
ice  ?  That  is,  who  has  caused  or 
produced  it .'"  The  idea  is,  that  it 
was  not  by  any  human  agency,  or  in 
any  known  way  by  which  living  be- 
ings were  propagated.  U  Anil  the 
hoarif  frost  of  heaven.  Which  seems 
to  fall  from  heaven.  The  sense  is, 
that  it  is  caused  wholly  by  God.  See 
Notes,  ch.  xxxvii.  10. 

30.  The  waters  are  hid  as  with  a 
stone.  The  solid  ice  is  laid  as  a  stone 
upon  them,  wholly  concealing  them 
from  view.  IT  And  the  face  of  the  deep 
is  frozen.  Marg.  taken.  The  idea  is, 
they  seem  to  take  hold  of  one  ano- 
ther (^nS^n^)  ;  they   hold  together, 

or  cohere.  The  formation  of  ice  is 
thus  appealed  to  as  a  proof  of  the 
wisdom  of  God,  and  as  a  thing  which 
Job  could  not  explain.     No  man  could 


a  stone,  and  the  face  of  the  deep 
is  '  frozen. 

31  Canst  thou  bind  the  sweet 
influences  of  •  Pleiades, ''  or  loose 
the  bands  of  ^  Orion  ? 

b  r.  9.  9.  Amos  5.  8.  3  Cecil. 

produce   this   effect ;  nor   could    Job 
explain  how  it  was  done. 

31.  Canst  thou  bind  the  sweet  inflii 
ences  of  Pleiades  ?  The  seven  stars. 
On  the  meaning  of  the  word  used  here 
(n'3"'3,  kimdh),  see  Notes  on  ch.  ix.  9 
In  regard  to  the  meaning  of  the  word 
rendered  siccet  influences,  there  has 
been  considerable  variety  of  interpre- 
tation. The  LXX  render  it,  "  Dost 
thou  understand  the  band  {dirmhv) 
of  Pleiades .''"  The  Hebrew  word 
(rij'iy^)  is  naturally  derived  from  a 
word  signifying  pleasures,  or  delights 
("l"^?^,  from  1"3^,  to  be  soft,  or  pliant ; 
•^o  enjoy  pleasure  or  delight ;  hence 
the  W'Ord  Eden),  and  then  it  would 
mean,  as  in  our  translation,  the  de- 
lightful influences  of  the  Pleiades  ;  or 
the  influences  supposed  to  be  produ- 
ced by  this  constellation  in  imparting 
happiness,  particularly  tlie  pleasures 
enjoyed  in  tiie  springtime,  when  that 
constellation  makes  its  appearance. 
But  Gesenius  supposes  that  the  word 
is  derived  from  "5?^,  dnddh,  to  bind, 
and  that  it  is  used  by  transposition 
for  fl''^??'?,  mdundddoth.  It  would 
then  refer  to  the  'bands  of  Pleiades,' 
and  the  question  would  be  whether 
Job  had  created  the  band  which 
united  the  stars  composing  that  con 
stellation  in  so  close  union  ;  whether 
he  had  bound  them  together  in  a 
cluster  or  bundle.  This  idea  is  adopt- 
ed by  RosenmtUler,  Umbreit,  and 
Noyes.  Herder  renders  it,  "  the  bril- 
liant Pleiades."  The  word  'bands' 
applied  to  the  Pleiades  is  not  unfre- 
quently  used  in  Persian  poetry.  They 
were  spoken  of  as  a  band  or  orna- 
ment for  the  forehead — or  compared 
with  a  headband  made  up  of  dia- 
monds or  pearls.  Thus  Sadi,  in  his 
Gulistan,  p.  22,  (Amsterdam,  1651), 
speaking  of  a   garden,   says,    "  The 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


229 


32  Canst    thou     bring    forth 
'Mazzaroth   in    his    season?  or 


1  or,  the  twelve  signs. 


2  fTuide  them. 


earth  is  strewed,  as  it  were,  with  em- 
eralds, and  tiie  bands  of  Pli;iades  ap- 
])car  upon  the  boughs  of  the  trees.'" 
Ho  Ilaliz,  another  Persian  poet,  says, 
in  one  of  his  odes,  "  Over  thy  songs 
fleaven  has  strew"ed  tiie  bands  of  tlie 
I'leiades  as  a  seal  of  inmiortalily."' 
The  Greenlanders  call  the  Pleiades 
killiikturset,  a  name  given  to  them 
because  thev  appear  to  be  bound 
together.  Ecredes  Account  of  the 
Grecnhind  Mission,  p.  57.  See  Ilo- 
Kenmilller,  .ilte  u.  jimc  Morgcniand, 
iS'o.  768.  There  seems,  however,  no 
good  reason  for  departing  from  the 
usual  meaning  of  the  word,  and  then 
the  reference  will  be  to  the  time  when 
the  Pleiades  or  the  seven  stars  make 
their  appearance  —  the  season  of 
spring.  Then  the  winter  disappears  ; 
the  streams  are  unlocked  ;  the  earth 
is  covered  with  grass  and  flowers ; 
the  air  is  sweet  and  balmy  ;  and  a 
happy  influence  seems  to  set  in  upon 
the  world.  There  may  be  some  allu- 
sion here  to  the  influence  which  the 
stars  were  supposed  to  exert  over  the 
seasons  and  the  affairs  of  this  world, 
but  it  is  not  necessary  to  suppose  this. 
All  that  is  required  in  the  interpreta- 
tion of  the  passage  is,  that  the  appear- 
ance of  certain  constellations  was 
connected  icitk  certain  changes  in  the 
seasons  ;  as  with  spring,  summer,  or 
winter.  It  was  not  unnatural  to  infer 
from  that  fact,  that  the  constellations 
exerted  an  influence  in  causing  those 
changes,  and  hence  arose  the  pretend- 
ed science  of  astrology.  But  there  is 
no  necessary  connection  between  the 
two.  The  Pleiades  appear  in  the 
spring,  and  seem  to  lead  on  that  joy- 
ous season.  These  stars,  so  closely 
set  together,  seem  to  be  hound  to  one 
another  in  a  sisterly  union  (Herder), 
and  thus  joyously  usher  in  the  spring. 
God  asks  Job  whether  he  were  the 
author  of  that  band,  and  had  thus  uni- 
ted them  for  the  purpose  of  ushering 
in  happy  influences  on  the  world.  IT 
Or  loost  the  hands  of  Orion.     In  re- 


canst  thou  "  guide  Arcturus  with 
his  sons  ? 


gard  to  this  constellation,  see  Notes 
on  ch.  ix.  9.  The  word  bands  here 
has  been  supposed  to  refer  to  the  gir- 
dle with  which  it  is  usually  repre- 
sented. Orion  is  here  described  as  a 
man  girded  for  action,  and  is  the  pio- 
neer of  winter.  It  made  its  appear- 
ance early  in  the  winter,  and  was 
regarded  as  the  precursor  of  storms 
and  tempests.  See  the  quotations  in 
the  Notes  on  ch.ix.y.  Thus  appear- 
ing in  the  autumn,  this  constellation 
seems  to  lead  on  the  winter.  It 
conies  with  strength.  It  spreads  its 
influence  over  the  air,  the  earth,  the 
waters,  and  binds  every  thing  at  its 
pleasure.  God  here  asks  Job  whether 
he  had  power  to  disarm  this  giant ;  to 
unloose  his  girdle  ;  to  divest  him  of 
strength  ;  to  control  the  seasons  .'' 
Had  he  power  over  summer  and  win- 
ter, so  as  to  cause  them  to  go  or  come 
at  his  bidding,  and  to  control  all  those 
law-s  which  produced  them  .'' 

32.  Canst  thou  hring  forth  Mazza- 
roth  in  his  season  ?  Marg.  "  the 
tirelve  sigiis ;"  that  is,  the  twelve 
signs  of  the  Zodiac.  There  lias  been 
much  diversity  of  opinion  about  the 
meaning  of  this  word.  It  occurs  no- 
where else  in  the  Scriptures,  and  of 
course  it  is  not  easy  to  determine  its 
signification.  The  LXX  retain  the 
word  /(«f()i>(_)oj.9^,  without  attempting 
to  translate  it.  Jerome  renders  it, 
Luciferum — Lucifer,  the  morning- 
star.  The  Chaldee,  X^'^J^  ''':'^''^  — 
the  constellations  of  the  planets.  Cov- 
erdale,  "  the  morning-star  ;"  and  so 
Luther  renders  it.  Rosenmiiller, 
sig7ia  ccJestia — the  celestial  sig7is,  and 
so  Herder,  Umbreit,  Gesenius,  and 
Noyes,  ^'^  the  Zodiac."  Gesenius  re 
gards  the  word  nnjia  — mazzaroth, 
as    the   same    as    riiPJ'O  — mazzaloth, 

properly  lodgiiigs,  inns;  and  hence 
the  lodgings  of  the  sun,  or  the  places 
or  houses  in  which  he  appears  in  the 
heavens,  and  thus  as  meaning  the 
signs    in    the    Zodiac.     Most  of  the 


230 


JOB. 


33  Knowest    thou    the    ordi- 
nances "  of  heaven  ?  canst  thou 

a  Je.  31.  35,  36. 

Hebrew  interpreters  adopt  this  view, 
but  it  rests  on  no  certain  foundation, 
and  as  we  are  not  certain  as  to  the 
meaning  of  the  word,  the  only  safe 
way  is  to  retain  the  original,  as  is 
done  in  our  common  version.  I  do 
not  see  how  it  is  possible  to  deter- 
mine its  meaning  with  certainty,  and 
probably  it  is  to  be  regarded  as  a 
name  given  to  some  constellation  or 
cluster  of  stars  supposed  to  exert  an 
influence  over  the  seasons,  or  con- 
nected with  some  change  in  the 
seasons,  which  we  cannot  now  accu- 
rately understand.  H  Or  canst  thou 
guide  Jlrcturiis?  On  the  constella- 
tion "  Arcturus"  (pT4.  — dish),  see 
Notes  on  ch.  ix.  9.  The  word  ren- 
dered "guide"  in  the  text,  is  in  the 
margin  "guide  them."  The  Hebrew 
is,  "  and  aish  upon  [or  near — i"?]  her 
sons,  canst  thou  lead  them  .''"  Her- 
der and  Umbreit  render  it,  "And 
lead  forth  the  Bear  with  her  young," 
or  her  children.  The  reference  is  to 
the  constellation  Arcturus,  or  Ursa 
Jlajor  in  the  northern  sky.  The 
"  sons"  referred  to  are  the  stars  that 
accompany  it,  probably  the  stars  that 
are  now  called  the  "  tail  of  the  bear." 
Umbreit.  Another  interpretation  is 
suggested  by  Herder,  which  is  that 
this  constellation  is  represented  as  a 
nightly  wanderer — a  motiier,  who  is 
seeking  her  lost  children,  the  stars, 
that  are  no  longer  visible,  and  that 
thus  revolves  around  the  heavens. 
But  the  probable  reference  is  to  the 
constellation  conducted  round  and 
round  the  pole  as  by  some  unseen 
hand,  like  a  mother  with  her  child- 
ren, and  the  question  is,  whether  Job 
had  skill  and  power  to  do  this  ?  God 
appeals  to  it  as  a  manifestation  of 
his  majesty  and  power,  and  as  far 
above  the  skill  of  man.  Who  ever 
looked  upon  that  beautiful  constella- 
tion and  marked  its  regular  revolu- 
tions, without  feeling  that  its  position 


set  the  dominion  thereof  in  the 
earth  ? 


and    movements  were   such  as   God 
only  could  produce  ? 

33.  Knozcest  thou  the  ordinances  of 
heaven  ?  The  laws  or  statutes  by 
which  the  motions  of  the  heavenly 
bodies  are  governed.  These  were 
wholly  unknown  in  the  time  of  Job, 
and  the  discovery  of  some  of  those 
laws — for  only  a  few  of  them  are  yet 
known — was  reserved  to  be  the  glory 
of  the  modern  system  of  astronomy. 
The  suggestion  of  the  great  principles 
of  the  system  gave  immortality  to 
the  name  Copernicus;  and  the  dis- 
covery of  those  laws  in  modern 
times  has  conferred  immortality  on 
the  names  of  Brahe,  Kepler,  and 
Newton.  The  laws  which  control 
the  heavenly  bodies  are  the  most 
sublime  that  are  known  to  man,  and 
have  done  more  to  impress  the  human 
mind  with  a  sense  of  the  majesty  of 
God  than  any  other  discoveries  made 
in  the  material  universe.  Of  course, 
all  those  laws  were  known  to  God 
himself,  and  he  appeals  to  them  in 
proof  of  his  grealness  and  majesty. 
The  grand  and  beautiful  movements 
of  the  heavenly  bodies  in  the  time  of 
Job  were  fitted  to  produce  admira- 
tion; and  one  of  the  chief  delights  of 
those  that  dwelt  under  the  splendor 
of  an  Oriental  sky  was  to  contem- 
plate those  movements,  and  to  give 
names  to  those  moving  lights.  The 
discoveries  of  science  have  enlarged 
the  conceptions  of  man  in  regard  to 
the  starry  heavens  far  towards  im- 
mensity ;  have  shown  that  these 
twinkling  lights  are  vast  worlds  and 
systems,  and  at  the  same  time  have 
so  disclosed  the  laws  by  which  they 
are  governed  as  to  promote,  where 
the  heart  is  right,  intelligent  piety, 
and  elevate  the  mind  to  more  glorious 
views  of  the  Creator.  U  Canst  thou 
set  the  dominion  thereof  in  the  earth  ? 
That  is,  'dost  thou  assign  the  domin 
ion  of  the  heavens  over  the  earth  .''' 
The  reference  is,  undoubtedly,  to  the 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


231 


34  Canst  thou  lift  up  thy  voice 
to  the  clouds,  that  abundance  of 
waters  may  cover  thee  1 

3.J  Canst  thou  send  lightnings, 

1  Behold  us.  a  Ps.  51.  G 


influence  of  llie  lieavenly  bodies 
upon  sublunary  objecls.  Tlie  exact 
extent  of  that  cannot  be  supposed  to 
Uave  been  known  in  tlie  days  of  Job, 
and  it  is  probable  that  much  more  was 
ascribed  to  tlie  influence  of  the  stars 
on  human  aflairs  tiian  the  truth  would 
justify.  Nor  is  its  e.xtent  now  known. 
It  is  known  tiuit  the  moon  has  an  in- 
fluence over  tlie  tides  of  the  ocean  ;  it 
may  be  that  it  lias  to  some  extent  over 
the  weather;  and  it  is  not  impossible 
that  the  other  heavenly  bodies  may 
liave  some  effect  on  the  changes  ob- 
served in  the  earth  which  is  not  un- 
derstood. Whatever  it  is,  it  was  and 
is  all  known  to  God,  and  the  idea 
here  is,  that  it  was  a  proof  of  his  im- 
mense superiority  over  man. 

34.  Canst  thou  lift  up  thy  voice  to 
the  clouds,  that  abundance  of  icaters 
maij  cover  thee  ?  That  is,  canst  thou 
command  the  clouds  so  that  they 
shall  send  down  abundant  rain.' 
Bouillier  supposes  that  there  is  an 
allusion  here  to  the  incantations 
which  were  pretended  to  be  practised 
by  the  IMagi,  by  which  they  claimed 
the  power  of  producing  rain  at  plea- 
sure. Comp.  Jer.  xiv.  22,  "  Are 
there  any  among  the  vanities  of  the 
Gentiles  [the  idols  that  they  wor- 
ship] that  can  cause  rain  .''  Art  not 
thou  he,  O  Lord  our  God.'"  The 
idea  is,  that  it  is  God  only  who  can 
cause  rain,  and  that  the  control  of  the 
clouds  from  which  rain  descends  is 
wholly  bevond  the  reach  of  man. 

35.  Canst  thou  send  lightnings  ? 
That  is,  lightning  is  wholly  under 
the  control  of  God.  So  it  is  now  ; 
for  after  all  that  man  lias  done  to 
discover  its  laws,  and  to  guard 
against  it,  yet  still  man  has  made  no 
advances  towards  a  power  to  wield 
it,  nor  is  it  possible  that  he  ever 
should.  It  is  one  of  the  agencies  in 
the  universe  that  is  always  to  be  un- 


that  they  may  go,  and  say  unto 
thee,  '  Here  we  arc  ? 

30  Who  hath  put  wisdom  in 
the  inward  "  parts  ?  or  who  hath 
given  understanding  to  the  heart  ? 

der  the  divine  direction,  and  how- 
ever much  man  may  subsidize  to  his 
purposes  wind,  and  water,  and  steam, 
and  air,  yet  there  can  be  no  prospect 
that  the  forked  lightning  can  be 
seized  by  human  hands  and  directed 
by  human  skill  to  purposes  of  utility 
or  destiuction  among  men.  Conip. 
Notes  on  ch.  xxxvi.  31-33.  H  And 
say  unto  thee.  Here  tnc  are.  Marg. 
Behold  us.  That  is,  we  are  at  your 
disposal.  This  language  is  derived 
from  the  condition  of  servants  pre- 
senting themselves  at  the  call  of  tlieir 
masters,  and  saying  that  they  stood 
ready  to  obey  tlieir  commands.  Comp. 
1  Sam.  iii.  4,  6,  9.  Isa.  vi.  8. 

36.  Who  hath  put  wisdom  in  the  in- 
loard  parts?  There  is  great  variety 
in  the  interpretation  of  this  passage. 
Jerome  renders  it,  Q,uis  posuit  in 
visceribns  hominis  sapientiam  .'  Vel 
quis  dedit  gallo  intelligentiam  .' 
"  Who  hath  put  wisdom  in  the  inner 
parts  of  man  ?  Or  who  has  given  to 
the  cock  intelligence.'"  The  LXX 
as  strangely,  "  Who  hath  given  to 
women  skill  in  weaving,  and  a  know- 
ledge of  the  art  of  embroidering?" 
One  of  the  Targums  renders  it, 
"  Who  lias  given  to  the  woodcock 
intelligence  that  he  should  praise  his 
Master.'"     Herder  renders  it, 

"  Who  gave  understanding  to  the  flying  clouds  .' 
Or  intelligence  to  the  motcors  of  the  air.'" 

Umbreit, 

"  W^ho  placed  wisdom  in  the  dark  clouds 
Who  gave  understanding  to  the  forms  of  the 
air."' 

Schultens  and  Rosenmilller  explain  it 
of  the  various  phenomena  that  appear 
in  the  sky — as  lightning,  thunder, 
meteoric  lights,  &c.  So  Prof.  Lee 
explains  the  words  as  referring  to  the 
'  tempest'  and  the  '  thunder-storm.' 
According  to  that  interpretation,  the 
idea  is,  that  these  plierLomena  appear 


232 


JOB. 


37  Who     can     number     the 
clouds  in  widdom  1  or  who  can 

to  be  'endowed  with  intelligence. 
There  is  prooi'of  plan  and  wisdom  in 
iheir  arraiii;enient  and  connection, 
and  they  show  that  it  is  not  by  cjiance 
that  they  are  directed.  One  reason 
assigned  ibr  this  interpretation  is, 
that  it  accords  with  the  connection. 
The  course  of  the  argument,  it  is  re- 
marked, relates  to  tlie  various  phe- 
nomena tliat  appear  in  the  sky — to 
the  lightnings,  tempests,  and  clouds. 
It  is  unnatural  to  suppose  that  a  re- 
mark would  be  interposed  here  re- 
specting tlie  intellectual  endowments 
of  man,  when  the  appeal  to  the 
clouds  is  again  (ver.  37)  immediately 
resumed.  There  can  he  no  doubt  that 
there  is  much  weight  in  this  observa- 
tion, and  that  the  connectiou  de- 
mands this  interpretation,  and  that  it 
should  be  adopted  if  the  words  which 
are  used  will  admit  of  it.  The  only 
difficulty  relates  to  the  words  render- 
ed "inward  parts,"  and  "heart." 
The  former  of  these  (mnu)  accord- 
ing to  the  Hebrew  interpreters,  is  de- 
rived from  n^lU — tuahh,  to  cover 
over,  to  spread,  to  besmear;  and  is 
hence  given  to  the  veins,  because 
covered  with  fat.  It  occurs  only  in 
this  place,  and  in  Ps.  li.  6,  "Behold 
thou  desirest  truth  in  the  imoard 
parts  "  where  it  undoubtedly  refers 
to  the  seat  of  the  affections  or  thoughts 
in  man.  The  xerh  is  often  used  as 
meaning  to  daub,  overlay,  or  plaster, 
as  in  Lev.  xiv.  42,  Ezek.  xxii.  2d, 
xiii.  12,  J 4  Schultens,  Lee,  Um- 
breit,  and  others,  have  recourse  in  the 
explanation  to  the  use  of  the  Arabic 
word  of  the  same  letters  with  the 
Hebrew,  meaning  to  wander^  to  make, 
a  random  shot,  &c.,  and  thence  apply 
it  to  lightning,  and  to  meteors.  Uui- 
breit  supposes  that  there  is  allusion  to 
the  prevalent  opinion  in  the  East  that 
the  clouds  and  the  phenomena  of  the 
air  could  be  regarded  as  furnishing 
prophetic  indications  of  what  was  to 
occur;  or  to  the  custom  of  predicting 
future    events   by   tiie   aspects  of  the 


'  stay  the  bottles  of  heaven, 


1  cause  to  He  down. 


sky.  It  is  a  sufficient  objection  to 
this,  however,  that  it  cannot  be  sup- 
posed that  the  Almighty  would  lend 
his  sanction  to  this  opinion  by  appeal- 
ing to  it  as  if  it  were  so.  After  all 
that  has  been  written  on  the  passage, 
and  all  the  force  of  the  difficulty 
which  is  urged,  I  do  not  see  evidence 
that  we  are  to  depart  from  the  com- 
mon interpretation,  to  wit,  that  God 
means  to  appeal  to  the  fact  that  he 
has  endowed  man  with  iutelligence 
as  a  proof  of  his  greatness  and  suprem- 
acy. The  connection  is,  indeed,  not 
very  apparent.  It  may  be,  however, 
as  Noyes  suggests,  that  the  reference 
is  to  the  mind  of  Job  in  particular, 
and  to  the  intelligence  with  which  he 
was  able  to  perceive,  and  in  some  mea- 
sure to  comprehend,  these  various 
phenomena.  The  coiinection  may  be 
something  like  this  :  '  Look  to  the 
heavens,  and  contemplate  these  won- 
ders. Explain  them,  if  possible  ;  and 
then  ask  who  it  is  that  has  so  en- 
dowed the  mind  of  man  that  it  can 
trace  in  them  such  proofs  of  the  wis- 
dom and  power  of  the  Almighty.  The 
phenomena  themselves,  and  the  capa- 
city to  contemplate  them,  and  to  be 
instructed  by  them,  are  alike  demon- 
strations of  the  stipremacy  of  the 
Most  High.'  IT  Understanding  to  tlir. 
heart.  To  the  mind.  The  common 
word  to  denote  heart —  3?  is  not  used 
Jiere,  but  a  word  ('^'!'^''^  from  '^^'>^) 
meaning  to  look  at,  to  view;  and 
hence  denoting  the  mind  ;  the  intelli- 
gent soul.    Gescnius. 

37.  Who  can  number  the  clouds  ? 
The  word  here  rendered  clouds 
(C^priUJ),  is  applied  to  the  clouds  as 
made  up  o? small  ■particles — asifthev 
were  composed  of  fine  dust,  and 
hence  the  word  number  is  applied  to 
them,  not  as  meaning  that  the  clouds 
themselves  were  innumei'able,  but 
that  no  one  could  estimate  the  num- 
ber of  particles  which  enter  into  their 
formation,  "iT  In  wisdom.  By  his 
wisdom.     Who  has  suflicient  inlelli- 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 


233 


38  When  tlie  dust  '  growcth 
into  hardness,  and  the  clods 
cleave  fast  together  ? 

39  Wilt  thou   hunt   the   prey 

1   ii  poured,  or,  is  turiwil  into  mire. 

•.;.'i;(.'j  to  do  it?  II  Or  iclio  can  stay 
liic.  hott'cs  of  heuvcn?  Slarg.  as  in 
If  el),  cause  to  lie  down.  The  clouds 
:iie  litre  compared  witli  bottles,  as  if 
they  held  the  vs-ater  in  the  same 
manner.  Conip.  Notes  on  ch.  xxvi. 
H.  The  word  rendered  "stay"  in 
tiie  text,  and  in  the  margin  "  cause  to 
lie  down,"  is  rendered  by  Umbreit, 
"pour  out,"  t'rom  an  Arabic  significa- 
tion of  the  word.  Gesenius  supposes 
that  tiie  meaning  to  "pour  out"  is 
derived  from  the  idea  of"  causing  to 
lie  down,"  from  the  fact  tiiat  a  buttle 
or  vessel  was  made  to  lie  down  or 
was  inclined  to  one  side  when  its 
contents  were  poured  out.  TJiis  ex- 
planation seems  probable,  thougii 
there  is  no  other  place  in  the  Hebrew 
where  tlie  word  is  used  in  this  signi- 
fication. The  sense  of  pouring  out 
agrees  \vell  with  the  connection. 

38.  When  the,  dust  gruircth  into 
hardness.  Marg.  "  /V  poured,  or,  is 
turned  into  mire."  The  words  liere 
used  relate  often  to  metals,  and  to  the 
act  of  pouring  them  out^vhen  fused, 
for  the  purpose  of  casting.  The 
[)roper  idea  here  is,  '  when  tlie  dust 
ilows  into  a  molten  mass;'  that  is, 
when  wet  with  rain  it  flows  together 
and  becomes  hard.  The  sense  is, 
that  the  rain  operates  on  the  clay  a.s 
l.eat  does  on  metals,  and  that  when  it 
is  dissoh  ed  it  flows  together  and  thus 
becomes  a  solid  mass.  The  object  is 
tocomjtare  the  effect  of  rain  vvit'i  the 
usual  effect  in  casting  metals.  ',[  Mnd 
the  clods  cleave  fast  together.  That  is, 
rhev  are  run  together  by  the  rain. 
Tliev  form  one  mass  of  the  same  con- 
Biitency,  and  then  are  baked  hard  by 
the  sun. 

31).  Wilt  thou  hnvt  the  prey  for  the 
lion  ?  The  appeal  here  is  to  the  in- 
stincts with  which  Goil  has  endowed 
animals,  and  to   the   f;ut  that  lie  had 


appe- 


for  the  '  lion  ?  or  fill  tlic 
tite  of  tlie  young  lions, 

40  When  they  couch  in  tadt' 
dens,  (tnd  ahidc  in  the  covert  to 
lie  in  wait  ? 


a  Pb.  104.21. 


2  life. 


SO  made  them  that  they  would  secure 
their  own  food.  He  asks  Job  whether 
he  would  undertake  to  do  what  liie 
lion  did  by  instinct  in  finding  his 
food,  and  by  his  power  and  skill  in 
seizing  his  ])rey.  There  was  a  wise 
adaptation  of  the  lion  for  this  purpose 
which  man  could  neither  originate 
nor  explain.  II  Or  fill  the  appetite  of 
the  young  lions.  Marg.  as  in  Heb. 
life.  The  word  life  is  here  used  for 
hunger,  as  the  appetite  is  necessarily 
connected  with  the  preservation  of 
life.  The  meaning  here  is,  '  Wouldst 
thou  undertake  to  supply  liis  wants  ? 
It  is  done  by  laws,  and  in  a  man- 
ner which  tliou  can.st  not  explain. 
Tiiere  are  in  the  arrangement  by 
which  it  is  accomplished  marks  of 
wisdom  which  far  surpass  tlie  skill  of 
n;an  to  originate,  and  the  instinct  and 
power  by  which  it  is  done  are  proof 
of  the  supremacy  of  the  Most  High.' 
No  one  can  study  the  subject  of  the 
instincts  of  animals,  or  become  in 
the  least  acquainted  with  Natural 
History,  witiiout  finding  ever}  where 
traces  of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
God. 

40.  When  thei/  couch  in  tlieir  dens. 
For  the  purpose  of  springing  upon 
their  prey.  II  And  abide  in  the  covert 
to  lie  in  wait?  The  usual  posture  of 
the  lion  when  he  seeks  his  prey.  He 
places  himself  in  some  unobserved 
position  in  a  dense  thicket,  or  croucli- 
es  upon  the  ground  so  as  not  to  he 
seen,  and  then  springs  suddenly  upon 
his  victim.  The  cornmon  method  of 
the  lion  in  taking  his  prey  is  to  sprin;' 
or  throw  himself  upon  it  from  tiie 
place  of  his  ambush,  with  one  vast 
Ibound,  and  to  inflict  the  mortal  blow 
with  one  stroke  of  his  paw.  If  he 
misses  his  aim,  however,  he  seldom 
attempts  another  spring  at  the  same 
f.bject,  but  deliberatelv  returns  to  the 


234 


JOB. 


41   Who  provideth  for  the  ra- 
;n  "  his  food  ?  when  his  young 


a  Ps.  147.  9.  Mat.  6.  25. 


thicket  in  which  he  lay  in  conceal- 
ment. See  the  habits  of  the  lion  il- 
lustrated in  the  Edin.  Ency.,  Art. 
MazoloiTij. 

41.  JVho  provideth  for  the  racen  his 
food?  The  same  thought  is  express- 
ed in  Ps.  c.xlvii.  i), 

He  giveth  to  tlie  beast  his  food, 
And  to  the  young  ravens  which  cry 

Comp.  Mattli.  vi.  26.  Scheutzer  (m 
loc.)  suggests  that  the  reason  why  the 
raven  is  specified  here  ratiier  than 
other  fowls  is,  that  it  is  an  otiensive 
bird,  and  that  God  means  to  state 
tliat  no  object,  however  regarded  by 
man,  is  beneatli  his  notice.  He  care- 
fully provides  for  the  wants  of  all  his 
creatures.  U  IVhen  his  young  ones 
cry  unto  God,  they  loander  for  lack  of 
meat.  Bochart  observes  that  tlie 
raven  expels  tiie  young  from  the  nest 
as  soon  as  they  are  able  to  fly.  In 
this  condition,  being  unable  to  obtain 
food  by  tlieir  own  exertions,  they 
make  a  croaking  noise,  and  God  is 
Said  to  hear  it,  and  to  supply  their 
wants.  JVoijes.  There  are  various 
opinions  expressed  in  regard  to  this 
subject  by  the  Rabbinical  writers,  and 
by  the  ancients  generally.  Rabbi 
Eliezer  ('cap.  21)  says  tliat,  "  When 
the  old  ravens  see  the  young  coming 
into  the  world  which  are  not  black, 
they  regard  them  as  the  offspring  of 
serpents,  and  fiee  away  from  them, 
and  God  takes  care  of  them."  Rabbi 
Solomon  says  that  in  this  condition 
they  are  nourished  by  the  Hies  and 
worms    that    are   generated    in   their 


ones  cry  unto  God,  they  wander 
for  lack  of  meat. 


nests,  and  the  same  opinion  was  held 
by  the  Arabian  writers,  Haritius, 
Alkuazin,  and  Damir.  Among  the 
fathers  of  the  church,  Chrysostom, 
Olympiodorus,  Gregory,  and  Isidorus, 
supposed  that  they  were  nurtured  by 
dew  descending  from  heaven.  Pliny 
(Lib.  X.  c.  12)  sa3's,  that  the  old 
ravens  expel  the  strongest  of  their 
young  from  tlie  nest,  and  compel 
thein  to  fly.  This  is  tlie  time,  ac- 
cording to  many  of  the  older  com- 
mentators, when  the  young  ravens 
are  represented  as  calling  upon  God 
for  food.  See  Scheutzer,  Physica 
Sacra,  in  loc,  and  Bochart,  Ilieroz. 
P.  ii.  L.  ii.  c.  ii.  I  do  not  know  tliat 
there  is  now  supposed  to  be  sufficient 
evidence  to  substantiate  this  fact  in 
regard  to  the  manner  in  which  tlia 
ravens  treat  their  young,  and  all  the 
circumstances  of  the  place  before  us 
will  be  met  by  the  supposition  that 
young  birds  seem  to  call  upon  God, 
and  that  he  supplies  their  wants. 
The  last  three  verses  in  this  chapter 
s-hould  not  have  been  separated  from 
the  following.  The  appeal  in  this  is 
to  the  animal  creation,  and  this  is 
continued  through  the  whole  of  the 
next  chapter.  Tlie  proper  place  for 
the  division  would  have  been  at  the 
close  of  verse  38,  where  the  argument 
from  the  great  laws  of  the  material 
universe  was  ended.  Then  com- 
mences an  appeal  to  his  works  of  a 
higher  order — the  region  of  instinct 
and  appetites,  where  creatures  are 
governed  by  other  than  mere  physical 
laws. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 


The  nrgument  in  jiroof  of  the  divine  wis'lom  and  greatness,  whicli  was  commenced  at  ver.  39 
o'"tlie  piovions  cliuptor,  is  continued  in  tliis.  Tlie  nrgument  is  drawn  from  the  instincts,  habits, 
and  power  of  tlie  animal  creation.  It  is,  in  substance,  that  the  arrangements  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  tlie  brutes,  tlieir  instincts,  and  the  power  wliich  they  exhibit,  farsuipass  all  the  wisdom 
and  skiU  of  man  to  have  imparled  them.  He  could  not  even  eiplain  those  thingi  which  God  had 
mad>'.  In  the  prosecutionof  this  argument,  God  appeals  (l.)Tothe  wild  goats  of  the  rocks,  and 
tlie  hinds,  and  to  the  paternal  care  and  tenderness  with  which  he  regards  them,  vs.  l-'l.  (-J.) 
To  the  wild  ass  exulting  iii  liis  freedom,  scorning  restraint,  and  roaring  at  largo  in  the  wilder- 
ness and  in  the  extended  [ilains,  vs.  5-8.  (3.)  To  the  unicorn,  and  to  his  great  strength,  far  sur- 
passing that  of  man,  and  to  the  fict  that  he  could  not  be  subjugated  as  other  animals  are,  and 
made  subservient  to  the  purposes  of  agriculture,  vs.  9-12.  (4.)  To  the  wings  and  feathers  of  the 
ostrich.  Especially,  God  asks  of  .lob  whether  Ae  had  ordained  tiie  remarkable  laws  by  which 
she  was  governed  in  reference  to  her  yonng.  and  which  were  so  unlike  the  usual  habits  of  the 
animal  creation,  vs.  13-18.  (o.)  'I'o  the  horse— his  strength,  his  majesty,  his  courage,  his  im- 
patience for  battle,  vs.  19-25.  (6.)  To  the  hawk,  evincing  consummate  wisdom  in  its  instincts, 
ver.  '26.  (7.)  To  the  eagle— the  king  of  birds,  and  to  tlie  laws  by  which  it  secures  its  food.  By 
an  appeal  to  the  habits  and  instincts  of  these  animals,  God  designs  to  impress  the  mind  with  the 
conviction  of  his  wisdom  and  greatness,  and  to  show  to  man  how  incompetent  he  is  to  pronounce 
on  his  doings. 


TT"  NOW  EST    thou    the   time 
-^       when  the  wild  goats  of  the 


1.  Knowcst  thou  the  time  ichcn  the 
wild  goats  of  the  rock  bring  forth  ? 
That  is,  the  particuhir  season  when 
the  mountain  goats  bring  forth  their 
young.  Of  domestic  animals — the 
sheep,  the  tame  goat,  &c.,  the 
habits  would  be  fully  understood. 
But  the  question  here  relates  to  the 
animals  that  roamed  at  large  on  in- 
accessible cliffs;  that  were  buried  in 
deep  forests;  that  were  far  from  the 
dwellings  and  observation  of  men  ; 
and  the  meaning  is,  that  there  were 
many  facts  in  regard  to  such  points  of 
Natural  History  which  Job  could  not 
explain.  God  knew  all  their  in- 
stincts and  habits,  and  on  the  inac- 
cessible clitls,  in  tlie  deep  dell,  in  the 
dark  forest,  he  was  with  them,  and 
they  were  the  obje-cts  of  his  care.  He 
not  only  regarded  the  condition  of 
the  domestic  animals  that  had  been 
brought  into  the  service  of  man,  and 
vk'iiere  man  perhaps  might  be  disposed 
to  claim  that  they  owed  much  of 
their  comfort  to  his  care,  but  he  re- 


rock  bring  forth  ?  or  canst  thou 
marl*  when  the  hinds  "  do  calve  \ 

a  Ps.  29.  9. 

garded  also  the  wild,  wandering  beast 
of  the  mountain,  where  no  such  pre- 
tence could  be  advanced.  The  prov- 
idence of  God  is  over  them  ;  and  in 
the  periods  of  their  lives  when  they 
seem  most  to  need  attention,  when 
every  shepherd  and  herdsman  is  most 
solicitous  about  his  flocks  and  herds, 
then  God  is  present,  and  his  care  is 
seen  in  their  preservation.  The  par- 
ticular point  in  the  inquiry  here  is, 
not  in  regard  to  the  time  when  these 
animals  produced  their  young  or  the 
period  of  their  gestation,  whicli  might 
probably  be  known,  but  in  regard  to 
the  attention  and  care  whicli  was 
needful  for  them  when  they  were  so 
far  removed  from  the  observance  ot 
man,  and  had  no  human  aid.  The 
"  wild  goat  of  the  rock"  here  referred 
to,  is,  doubtless,  the  Ibex,  or  moun- 
tain goat,  that  has  its  dwellings  among 
the  rocks,  or  in  stony  places.  The 
Hebrew  term  is  '3J'J — yA-el-,  or  y"', 
from  ??'^  — y'lo^i  to  ascend,  to  go  up. 


23i? 


JOB. 


2  Canst  tliou  number  the 
months  that  they  fulfil  1  or 
knowest  thou  the  time  when 
they  bring  forth  ? 

Tiiey  liad  tlieii-  residence  in  tlie  lofty 
rocks  of  mountains.  Ps.  civ.  ly, 
"  Tlie  liigh  lulls  are  a  refuge  for  the 
wild  goat.s.  Heb.  "  For  the  goats  of 
the  roclfs"'— C":<ba  Dibi'^  .  So  in  1 
Sam.  xxiv.  2.  [3.]  "  Saiil  went  to 
seek  David  and  his  men  wpo7i  the 
rocks  of  the  icild  goals;"  that  is, 
where  were  the  wild  goats —  C'^br'^n. 
For  a  description  of  the  toild  goat,  see 
Bochart,  Ilieroz.  P.  i.  Lib.iii.  c.  xxiii. 
The  animal  here  referred  to  is,  doubt- 
less, the  same  which  Burckhardt  saw 
on  the  summit  of  Mount  St.  Catharine, 
adjacent  to  Mount  Sinai,  and  which 
he  thus  describes  in  his  Travels  in 
Syria,  p.  571 :  "  As  we  approached 
the  summit  of  the  mountain  (St. 
Catharine,  adjacent  to  Mount  Sinai), 
we  s^iw  at  a  distance  a  small  flock 
of  mountain  goats  feeding  among  the 
rocks.  One  of  our  Arabs  lei"t  us,  and 
by  a  widely  circuitous  route  endeav- 
ored to  get  to  the  leev/ard  of  them, 
and  near  enough  to  fire  at  them.  lie 
enjoined  us  to  remain  in  sight  of 
them,  and  to  sit  down  in  order  not  to 
alarm  them.  He  had  nearlv  reached 
a  favorable  spot  Itehind  a  rock,  when 
the  goats  suddenly  look  to  flight.  They 
could  not  have  seen  the  Arab,  but  the 
wind  changed,  and  thus  they  smelt 
him.  The  chase  of  the  beden,as  the 
wild  goat  is  called,  resembles  that  of 
the  chamois  of  the  Alps,  and  requires 
as  much  enterprise  and  patience. 
The  Arabs  make  long  circuits  to  sur- 
prise them,  and  endeavor  to  come 
upon  them  early  in  the  morning, 
when  they  feed.  The  goats  have  a 
leader,  who  keeps  watch,  and  on  any 
suspicious  smell,  sound,  or  object, 
makes  a  noise,  whicii  is  a  signal  to 
the  flock  to  make  their  escape.  They 
have  much  decreased  of  late,  if  we 
may  believe  the  Arabs  ;  who  say  that 
fifty  years  ago,  if  a  stranger  came  to 
a  tent,  and  the  owner  of  it  had  no 
sheep  to   kill,   he   took    his   gun   and 


3  They  bow  themsehes,  they  ■ 
bring  forth  their  young  ones,  | 
they  cast  out  their  sorrows. 


went  in  search  of  a  beden.  They 
are,  however,  even  now  luore  com- 
mon here  than  in  the  Alps,  or  in  the 
mountains  to  the  east  of  the  Red  Sea. 
I  had  three  or  four  of  them  brought 
to  me  at  the  convent,  which  1  bought 
at  three-fourths  of  a  dollar  each.  The 
flesh  is  excellent,  and  has  nearlv  the 
same  flavor  as  that  of  the  deer.  The 
Bedouins  make  water  bags  of  their 
skins,  and  rings  of  their  horns,  which 
they  wear  on  their  thumbs.  When 
the  beden  is  met  with  in  the  plains, 
the  dogs  of  the  hunters  easily  catch 
him  ;  but  they  cannot  come  up  with 
him  among  the  rocks,  where  lie  can 
make  leaps  of  twenty  feet."  IT  Or 
canst  thou  mark  when  the  kinds  do 
caire?  Tiie  reference  here  is  to  the 
special  care  and  protection  of  God 
manifested  for  them.  The  mean- 
ing is,  that  this  animal  seems  to  be 
always  timid  and  apprehensive  of 
danger,  and  that  there  is  special 
care  bestowed  upon  an  animal  so  de- 
fenceless in  enabling  it  to  rear  its 
young.  The  word  hinds  denotes 
the  deer,  the  fawn,  the  most  timid 
and  defenceless,  perhaps,  of  all  ani- 
mals. 

2.  Canst  thou  number  the  viouths, 
&c.  That  is,  as  they  wander  in  the 
wilderness,  as  they  live  in  inac- 
ce.ssible  crags  and  cliffs  of  the  rocks, 
it  is  impossible  for  man  to  be  ac- 
quainted with  their  habits  as  he  can 
with  those  of  the  domestic  animals. 

3.  They  bow  themselves.  Literally, 
they  curt'fi  or  bend  themselves;  that 
is,  they  draw  their  limbs  together.  V 
They  cast  out  their  sorroics.  That  is, 
they  cast  forth  the  offspring  of  their 
pains,  or  the  young  whicli  cause  their 
pains.  The  idea  seems  to  be,  that 
tiiey  do  this  without  any  of  the  care 
and  attention  whicli  shepherds  are 
obliged  to  show  to  their  flocks  at 
such  seasons.  They  do  it  when  God 
only  guards  them  ;   when  they  are  in 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 


237 


4  Their  young  ones  are  in 
good  liking,  thev  grow  up  with 
corn  ;  they  go  forth,  and  return 
not  unto  them. 


the  wilderness  or  on  the  rocks  far 
away  from  li)e  aliodes  of  man.  Tlie 
leading  thought  in  all  this  seems  to 
be,  that  the  tender  care  of  God  was 
over  his  creatures,  in  the  most  peril- 
ous and  delicate  state,  and  that  all 
this  was  exercised  where  man  could 
have  no  access  to  them,  and  could 
not  even  ohserve  them. 

4.  Their  yoiinrr  ones  arc  in  good 
Jiliing.  Heb.  "they  are  fat;"  and 
hence  it  means  that  they  are  strong 
and  robust.  IT  Thftii  grow  up  loilh 
corn.  Herder,  Gesenius,  Noyes, 
Umhreit,  and  Rosenmilller  render 
this,  "  in  tlie  wilderness,"  or  "  field." 
T!ie  proper  and  usual  meaning  of 
the  word  here  used  ("^3)  is  corn,  or 
grain  ;  but  in  Chaldee  it  has  the 
sense  of  open  fields,  or  country.  Tlie 
same  idea  is  found  in  the  Arabic,  and 
this  sense  seems  to  be  required  by 
the  connection.  The  idea  is  not  that 
they  are  nurtured  with  grain,  which 
would  require  the  care  of  man,  but 
that  that  they  are  nurtured  under  the 
direct  eye  of  God  far  away  from 
human  dwellings,  and  even  when 
they  go  away  from  their  dam  and  re- 
turn no  more  to  the  place  of  their 
birth.  This  is  one  of  the  instances, 
therefore,  in  which  the  connection 
seems  to  require  us  to  adopt  a  signi- 
fication that  does  not  elsewhere  oc- 
cur in  the  Hebrew,  but  which  is 
found  in  the  cognate  languages.  IT 
Theij  go  forth,  and  return  not  unto 
them.  God  guards  and  preserves 
them,  even  when  they  wander  away 
from  their  datn,  and  are  left  helpless. 
IMany  of  the  young  of  animals  require 
long  attention  from  man,  many  are 
kept  for  a  considerable  period  bv  the 
side  of  the  mother,  but  the  idea  liere 
seems  to  be,  that  the  young  of  the 
wild  goat  and  of  the  fawn  are  thrown 
early  on  the  providence  of  God,  and 
are  protected  by  him  alone.  The 
particular    care   of  Providenee    over 


5  Who  hath  sent  out  the  wild 
ass  "  free  ?  or  who  hath  loo.sed 
the  bands  of  the  wild  ass? 

a  Je.  2.  24,  Ho.  8.  9. 

these  animals  seems  to  be  specitied 
because  there  are  no  others  that  are 
exposed  to  so  many  dangers  in  their 
early  life.  "  Every  creature  then  is 
a  formidable  enemy.  The  eagle,  the 
falcon,  the  osprey,  the  wolf,  the  dog, 
and  all  the  rapacious  animals  of  the 
cat  kind,  are  in  continual  employ- 
uieut  to  find  out  their  retreat.  But 
what  is  more  unnatural  still,  the 
stag  himself  is  a  professed  enemy, 
and  she  [the  hind]  is  obliged  to  use 
all  her  arts  to  conceal  her  young  from 
him,  as  from  the  most  dangerous  of 
her  pursuers."  Goldsmith's  j\at.  His. 
5.  JVho  hath  sent  out  the  wild  ass 
free?  For  a  description  of  the  wild 
ass,  see  Notes  on  ch.  xi.  12.  On  the 
meaning  of  the  word  rendered  free 
(■''^tis^),  see  Notes  on  Isa.  Iviii.  6. 
These  animals  commonly  "inlitibit 
the  dry  and  mountainous  parts  of  the 
deserts  of  Great  Tartary,  but  not 
higher  than  about  lat.  48"'.  They 
are  migratory,  and  arrive  in  vast 
troops  to  feed,  during  the  summer,  on 
the  tracts  to  the  north  and  east  of  the 
sea  of  Aral.  About  autumn  they  col- 
lect in  herds  of  hundreds,  and  even 
thousands,  and  direct  their  course 
southward  towards  India  to  enjoy  a 
warm  retreat  during  winter.  But 
they  more  usually  retire  to  Persia, 
where  they  are  found  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Casbin  ;  and  where  part  of 
them  remain  during  the  whole  year. 
They  are  also  said  to  penetrate  to 
the  southern  parts  of  India,  to  the 
mountains  of  Malabar  and  Golconda. 
These  animals  were  anciently  found 
in  Palestine,  Syria,  Arabia  Deserta, 
Mesopotamia,  Phrygia,  •and  Lycaonia, 
but  they  rarely  occur  in  those  regions 
at  the  present  time,  and  seem  to  be 
almost  entirely  confined  to  Tartary, 
some  parts  of  Persia  and  India,  and 
Africa.  Their  manners  resemble 
those  of  the  wild  horse.  They  as- 
semble in  troops  under  the  conduct  ol 


238 


JOB. 


6  Whose  "  house  I  have  made 
the  wilderness,  and  the  '  barren 
fland  his  dweliinofs. 


a  c.  24.  5. 


1  salt  places. 


a  leader  or  sentinel  ;  and  are  ex- 
tremely shy  and  vigilant.  They 
will,  however,  stop  in  the  midst  of 
their  course,  and  even  suffer  the  ap- 
proach of  man  for  an  instant,  and 
then  dart  off  with  the  utmost  rapidity. 
They  have  been  at  all  tinies  cele- 
brated for  their  swiftness.  Their 
voice  resembles  tliat  of  the  common 
ass,  but  is  shriller."  Roh.  Ciilmtt. 
The  Onager  or  wild  ass  is  doubtless 
"the  parent  stock  from  wiiicli  we 
liave  derived  the  useful  domestic  ani- 
mal, which  seems  to  have  degenerat- 
ed the  farther  it  has  been  removed 
from  its  parent  seat  in  Central  Asia. 
It  is  greatly  distinguished  in  spirit 
and  grace  of  form  from  the  domestic 
ass.  It  is  taller  and  more  dignified  ; 
it  holds  the  head  higher,  and  the  legs 
are  more  elegantlv  shaped.  Even 
the  head,  though  large  in  proportion 
to  the  body,  has  a  finer  appearance, 
from  the  forehead  being  more  arched  ; 
the  neck  by  which  it  is  sustained  is 
much  longer,  and  has  a  more  grace- 
ful bend.  It  has  a  short  mane  of  dark 
and  woolly  hair;  and  a  stripe  of  dark 
bushy  hair  also  runs  along  the  ridge 
of  the  hack  from  the  mane  to  the  tail. 
The  hnir  of  the  bodv  is  of  a  silver 
graj',  inclining  to  flaxen  color  in 
some  parts,  and  white  under  the 
belly.  The  hair  is  soft  and  silken, 
similar  in  texture  tothatofthe  camel." 
Pict.  Bible.  It  is  of  this  animal,  so 
difterent  in  spirit,  energy,  agility,  and 
fippearance,  from  the  domestic  ani- 
mal of  that  name,  that  we  must  think 
in  order  to  understand  this  passage. 
We  must  think  of  them  fleet  as  the 
wind,  untamed  and  unbroken,  wan- 
dering over  vast  plains  in  groups  and 
herds,  assembled  hy  thousands  under 
a  leader  or  guide,  and  hounding  oft' 
with  uncontrollable  rapiilitv  on  the 
approach  of  man,  if  we  would  feel 
the  force  of  the  appeal  which  is  here 
made.     God  asks  of  Job   whether  he 


7  He  scorneth  the  multitude 
of  the  city,  neither  regardeth  he 
the  crying  of  the  "driver. 


2  f Tartar,  c.  3.  18. 


— who  could  not  even  subdue  and  tame 
this  wild  creature — had  ordained  the 
laws  of  its  freedom  ;  had  held  it  as  a 
captive,  and  then  set  it  at  liberty  to 
exult  over  boundless  plains  in  its  con- 
scious independence.  The  idea  is, 
that  it  was  one  of  the  creatures  of 
God,  under  no  laws  but  such  as  he 
had  been  pleased  to  impose  upon  it, 
and  wholly  be\ond  the  government 
of  man.  X\  Or  v:ho  hath  loosed  the 
hands  of  the  wild  ass?  As  if  he  had 
been  once  a  captive,  and  then  set 
free.  The  illustration  is  derived 
from  the  feeling  which  attends  a  re- 
storation to  liberty.  Tlie  freedom  of 
this  animal  seems  to  be  as  productive 
of  exhilaration  as  if  it  had  been  a 
prisoner  or  slave,  and  had  been  sud- 
denly emancipated. 

6.  Whose  house  I  have  made.  God 
had  ap])ointed  its  home  in  the  desert. 
%  .4nd  the  barren  land  his  dicellings. 
INIarg.  as  in  Heb.  salt  places.  Sucli 
places  were  usuall}'  barren.  Ps.  cvii. 
34,  "  He  turneth  a  fruitful  land  into 
barrenness."  Heb.  salincss.  Thus 
Virgil,  Geor.  ii.  236-240, 

P:(lsa  autem  tellus,  et  qua?  perliibetur  amara, 
Frugiliiis  infeli.K:  ea  nee  niansuescit  arando 
Nee   Baf-cho  genus,   aut  pomis   sua    nomiiia 
eervat. 

Comp.  Pliny,  Nat.  His.  31.  7,  Deut. 
xxix.  23. 

7.  He  scorneth  the  multitude  of  the 
citij.  That  is,  he  sets  all  this  at  de- 
fiance ;  he  is  not  intimidated  by  it. 
He  finds  his  home  far  away  from  the 
citv  in  the  wild  freedom  of  the  wil- 
derness. ^  Neither  regardeth  he  the 
crying  of  the  driver.  Marg.  exactor. 
The  Hebrew  word  properly  means  a 
collector  of  taxes  or  revenue,  and 
hence  an  oppressor,  and  a  driver  ofcat- 
tle.  The  allusion  here  is  to  a  driver, 
and  the  meaning  is,  that  he  is  not 
subject  to  restraint,  but  enjoys  the 
most  unlimited  freedom. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


239 


8  The  range  of  the  mountains 
IS  his  pasture,  and  he  searchetli 
after  every  green  tiling. 


8.  The  range  of  the  moinuains  is 
his  jjiisUcre.  The  word  rendered 
range  ("1^"'^),  means  properly  a 
s:arc/iing  out,  and  then  that  wliicli  is 
obtained  by  seaicb.  The  word  range 
expresses  tlie  idea  witli  sutficient  ex- 
actness. The  usual  range  of  tlie  wild 
ass  is  the  mountains.  Pallas,  who 
has  given  a  lull  description  of  the 
Iiabits  of  the  Onager,  or  wild  ass, 
states,  that  it  especially  loves  deso- 
late hills  as  its  abode.  Jlrts  of  the 
Society  of  Sciences  of  Petersburg,  for 
the  year  1777. 

9.  Will  the  unicorn  be  icilling  to 
serve  thee  ?  In  the  previous  part  of 
the  argument,  God  had  appealed  to 
the  lion,  the  raven,  the  goats  of  the 
rock,  the  hind,  and  the  wild  ass  ;  and 
the  idea  was,  that,  in  the  instincts  of 
each  of  these  classes  of  animals,  there 
was  some  special  proof  of  wisdom. 
He  now  turns  to  another  class  of  the 
animal  creation  in  proof  of  his  own 
supremacy  and  power,  and  la3's  the 
argument  in  the  great  strength  and  in 
the  independence  of  the  animal,  and 
in  the  fact  tliat  man  had  not  been 
able  to  subject  his  great  strength  to 
the  purposes  of  husbandry.  In  regard 
to  the  animal  here  referred  to,  there 
has  been  great  diversity  of  opinion 
among  interpreters,  nor  is  there  as 
yet  any  one  prevailing  sentiment. 
Jerome  renders  it  rhinoceros  ;  the 
I. XX,  finroy.fOMi;,  the  iinicorn  ;  the 
Chaldee  and  the  Syriac  retain  the 
Hebrew  word  ;  Gesenius,  Herder, 
Unibreit,  and  Noyes,  render  it  the 
buffalo;  Schultens,  alticorneni ;  Lu- 
ther and  Coverdale,  the  unicorn; 
RosenmiUler,  the  onyx,  a  large  and 
fierce  species  of  the  antelope  ;  Cal- 
met  supposes  that  the  rhinoceros  is 
intended  ;  and  Prof.  Robinson,  in  an 
extended  appendage  to  the  article  of 
Calmet  (art.  Unicorn),  has  endeav- 
ored to  show  that  the  wild  buffalo  is 
intended.     Bochart,  al»o,   in   a   long 


9  Will  the  unicorn  "  be  will- 
ing to  serve  thee,  or  abide  by  thy 
crib  ? 


a  De.  33  17.  Ps.  92.  10. 


and  learned  argument,  has  endeavored 
to  show  that  the  rhinoceros  cannot  be 
meant,  llieroz.  P.  i.  Lib.  iii.  c.  xxvi. 
He  maintains  that  a  species  of  ante- 
lope is  referred  to,  the  rini  of  the 
Arabs.  De  Wette  (Com.  on  Ps.xxii. 
22),  accords  with  the  opinion  of  Ge- 
senius, Robinson,  and  others,  that  the 
animal  referred  to  is  the  buffalo  of 
the  Eastern  continent,  the  hos  biiba- 
lus  of  Linnffius,  an  animal  which  dif- 
fers from  the  American  buffalo  only 
in  the  shape  of  the  horns  and  the  ab- 
sence of  the  dewlap.  The  word 
which  occurs  here,  and  which  is  ren- 
dered unicorn  (C^T  re7?i,or  CX'l  reem), 
is  used  in  the  Scriptures  only  in  the 
following  places,  where  in  the  singu- 
lar or  plural  it  is  uniformly  rendered 
unicorn,  or  unicorns — Num.xxiii.  22. 
Deut.  xxxiii.  17.  Job  xxxix.  9, 10.  Ps. 
xxii.  21,  xxix.  6,  xcii.  10.  and  Isa. 
xxxii.  7.  By  a  reference  to  these 
passages,  it  will  be  found  that  the 
animal  had  the  following  character- 
istics. (1.)  It  was  distinguished  for 
its  strength.  See  ver.  11  of  this  chap- 
ter. Num.  xxiii.  22,  "He  [that  is, 
Israel,  or  the  Israelites]  hath  as  it 
were  the  strength  of  an  unicorn  " — 
^'*.'!',  reem.  In  Num.  xxiv.  8  the 
same  declaration  is  repeated.  It  is 
true  that  the  Hebrew  word  in  both 
these  places  (riEj-'^n)  may  denote 
rapidity  of  motion,  speed  ;  but  in  this 
place  the  notion  of  strength  must  be 
principally  intended,  for  it  was  of  the 
poicer  of  the  people,  and  their  ability 
manifested  in  the  number  of  their 
hosts,  that  Buiaam  is  speaking.  Bo- 
chart, however  (Hieroz.  P.  i.  Lib.  iii. 
c.  xxvii.),  supposes  that  the  word 
means,  not  strength,  or  agility,  but 
height,  and  that  the  idea  is,  that  the 
people  referred  to  by  Balaam  was  a 
lofty  or  elevated  people.  If  the  word 
means  strength,  it  was  most  appro- 
priate to  compare  a  vast  host  of^peo- 


240 


JO!?. 


pie  with  the  vigor  and  forre  of  an 
untamable  wild  animal.  The  idea  of 
speed  or  of  loftiness  does  not  so  well 
suit  the  connection.  (2.)  It  was  an 
animal  that  was  not  subjected  to  the 
Eervice  of  tilling  the  soil,  and  that 
was  sujjposed  to  be  incapable  of  being 
so  trained.  Tims  in  the  place  before 
us  it  is  said,  that  he  could  not  be  so 
domeslic;'.ted  that  he  would  remain 
li.ko  the  ox  at  tlie  crib  ;  that  he  could 
not  be  yoked  to  the  plough  ;  that  he 
could  not  be  employed  and  safely  left 
to  pursue  the  work  of  the  held  ;  and 
that  he  could  not  be  so  sul)dued  that 
it  ^vould  be  safe  to  attempt  to  bring 
home  the  harvest  by  his  aid.  From 
ail  these  declarations,  it  is  plain  that 
lie  was  regarded  as  a  wild  and  un- 
lamed  animal  ;  an  animal  that  was 
not  tiien  domesticated,  and  that  could 
not  be  employed  in  husbandry.  This 
Ciiaracteristic  would  agree  with  either 
the  antelope,  the  onyx,  tiie  buiTalo, 
the  rhinoceros,  or  the  supposed  uni- 
corn. With  which  of  them  it  will 
best  accord,  we  may  be  able  to  deter- 
mine when  all  his  characteristics  are 
examined.  (3.)  The  strength  of  the 
animal  was  in  his  horns.  This  was 
one  of  his  peculiar  characteristics, 
and  it  is  evidently  by  this  that  he  is 
designed  to  be  distinguisiied.  Deut. 
xxxiii.  17,  "  His  glory  is  like  the  first- 
ling of  a  bullock,  and  his  horns  like 
the  horns  of  unicorns."  Ps.  xcii.  ID, 
"  My  horn  shalt  thou  exalt  like  the 
horn  of  an  unicorn."  Ps.  xxii.  21, 
"  Thou  hast  heard  me  [saved  me] 
from  the  horns  of  the  unicorns."  It 
is  true,  indeed,  as  Prof.  Robinson  has 
remarked  (Calmet,  art.  Unicorn),  the 
word  reem  has  in  itself  no  reference 
to  horns,  nor  is  there  in  the  Hebrew 
an  allusion  any  where  to  the  suppo- 
sition tliat  the  animal  here  referred  to 
has  only  one  horn.  Wherever,  in 
the  Scriptures,  the  animal  is  spoken 
of  with  any  allusion  to  this  member, 
the  expression  is  in  the  plural,  horns. 
The  only  variation  from  this,  e\en  in 
the  common  version,  is  in  Ps.  xcii.  10, 
where  the  Hebrew  is  simply,  "  My 
horn  shalt  thou  exalt  like  an  unicorn," 
where  the  word  horn,  as  it  stands  in 


til?  English  version,  is  not  expressed. 
There  is,  indeed,  in  this  passage, 
some  obvious  allusion  to  the  horns  ot 
this  animal,  but  all  the  force  of  the 
comparison  will  be  retained  if  the 
word  inserted  in  tiie  ellipsis  is  in  the 
plural  number.  The  horn  or  horr.'i 
of  the  rccm  were,  however,  beyond 
question,  the  principal  scat  of  strength, 
and  the  instruments  of  assault  an<i 
defence.  See  the  passage  in  Deut. 
xxxiii.  17,  "  With  them  he  shall  push 
the  people  together  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth."  (4.)  There  was  some  pecu- 
liar majesty  or  dignity  in  the  horns 
of  this  animal  tiiat  attracted  atten- 
tion, and  that  made  them  the  proper 
symbol  of  dominion  and  of  roval  au- 
thority. Thus  in  Ps.  xcii.  lOJ  "My 
liorn  shalt  thou  exalt  like  the  horn  of 
an  unicorn,"  where  the  reference 
seems  to  be  to  a  kingly  authority  or 
dominion,  of  which  the  horn  was  an 
appropriate  symbol.  These  are  all 
the  characteristics  of  the  animal  re- 
ferred to  in  the  Scriptures,  and  the 
question  is.  With  what  known  aii- 
mal  do  they  best  correspond  .'  The 
principal  animals  referred  to  by  those 
who  have  examined  the  subject  at 
length  are,  the  onyx  or  antelope  ;  the 
buft'alo  ;  the  animal  commonly  refer- 
red to  as  the  unicorn,  and  the  rhino- 
ceros. The  principal^  characteristic 
of  the  vnicorn  was  supposed  to  be, 
that  it  had  a  long,  slender  horn  pro 
jecting  from  the  forehead  ;  the  horn 
of  the  rhinoceros  is  on  the  snout,  or 
the  nose.  I.  In  regard  to  the  ante- 
lope, or  the  7?mof  the  modern  Arabs, 
supposed  by  Bocliart  to  be  tJie  animal 
here  referred  to,  it  seems  clear  that 
there  are  few  characteristics  in  com- 
mon between  the  two  animals.  The 
onyx  or  antelope  is  not  distinguished 
as  this  animal  is  for  strength,  nor  for 
the  fact  that  it  is  peculiarly  untama- 
ble, nor  that  its  strength  is  in  its 
horns,  nor  that  it  is  of  such  size  and 
proportions  that  a  comparison  would 
naturally  be  suggested  between  it  and 
the  ox.  In  all  that  is  said  of  the  ani- 
mal, we  think  of  one  greater  in  bulk, 
in  strength,  in  untamableness,  than 
the   onyx  ;    an   animal    more   distiu 


CHAPTEPv  XXXIX. 


241 


guished  for  conquest  and  subduing 
other  animals  belure  liini.  Bociiait 
has  collected  much  that  is  fabulous 
respecting  this  animal,  from  the  Kab 
bins  and  the  Arabic  writers,  which  it 
is  not  needful  here  to  repeat.  See 
the  Hieroz  P.  i.  Lib.  iii.  c.  x.wii.,  or 
Scheutzer,  Physi.  iSac.  on  IVum.  xxiii. 
22.  II.  The  claims  of  the  buffalo  to 
be  regarded  as  the  animal  here  refer- 
red to,  are  much  liigher  than  those  of 
the  onv.x,  and  tiie  opinion  that  this  is 
the  animal  intended  is  cnterlained  by 
such  names  as  those  of  Gcsenius,  De 
Wette,  Robinson,  Umbreit,  and  Her- 
der. 15ut  the  objections  to  this  seem 
to  me  to  be  insuperable,  and  the  argu- 
ments are  not  such  as  to  carry  con- 
viction. The  principal  objections  to 
llie  opinion  are  (I.)  that  the  account 
in  regard  to  the  horns  of  the  r(e7n  by 
no  means  agrees  with  the  fact  in  re- 
gard to  the  bison,  or  buffalo.  The 
butialo  is  an  animal  of  the  cow  kind 
(Goldsmith),  and  the  horns  are  short 
and  crooked,  and  by  no  means  distin- 
guished for  strength.  They  do  not 
in  fact  surpass  in  this  respect  the 
horns  of  many  other  animals,  and  are 
not  such  as  would  occur  ordinarily  as 
the  prominent  characteristic  in  their 
description.  It  is  true  that  thore  are 
instances  where  the  horns  of  tiie  wild 
buffalo  are  large,  but  this  does  not 
appear  to  be  the  case  ordinarily.  BIr. 
Pennant  mentions  a  pair  of  horns  in 
the  British  Museum,  which  are  six 
feet  and  a  half  long,  and  the  hollow 
of  which  will  hold  five  quarts.  Fa- 
ther Lobo  affirms  that  .«ome  of  the 
horns  of  the  buttaloes  in  Abvssinia 
will  hold  ten  quarts  ;  and  Dillon  saw 
H'Jiue  in  India  that  were  ten  feet  long. 
IJut  these  were  manifestly  extraordi- 
nary cases.  (2.)  The  animal  here 
referred  to  was  evidently  a  stronger 
and  a  larger  animal  than  the  wild  ox, 
or  the  buflalo.  "  The  Oriental  buflalo 
aj)pears  to  be  so  closely  allied  to  our 
common  ox,  that  without  an  attentive 
examination  it  might  be  easily  mista- 
ken for  a  variety  of  that  animal.  In 
point  of  size,  it  is  rather  superior  to 
the  ox  ;  and  upon  an  accurate  inspec- 
.ion,  it  is  observed  to  dilfer  in  the 
VOL.   II.  ]  ]■ 


shape  and  magnitude  of  the  head,  the 
latter  being  larger  than  in  the  ox  " 
liobhuioii,  in  Calinct.  The  animal 
here  referred  to  was  such  as  to  make 
the  contrast  particularly  striking  be- 
tween him  and  the  ox.  The  latter 
could  be  employed  for  labor  ;  the 
former,  though  greatly  superior  in 
strength,  couid  not.  (:}.)  The  reem, 
it  was  supposed,  could  not  be  tamed 
and  made  to  subserve  domestic  pur- 
poses. The  buflalo,  however,  can  be 
made  as  serviceable  as  the  ox,  and  is 
actujilly  domesticated  and  employed 
in  agricultural  purposes.  Niebuhr 
remarks  that  he  saw  buflaloes  not 
only  in  Egypt,  but  also  at  Bondiay, 
Surat,  on  the  Euphrates,  Tigris,  Oron- 
tes,  and  indeed  in  all  marshy  regions 
and  near  large,  rivers.  Sonnini  re- 
marks that  in  Egypt  the  buffalo, 
though  but  recently  domesticated,  is 
more  numerous  than  the  common  ox, 
and  is  there  equally  domestic,  and  in 
Italy  they  are  known  to  be  commonly 
employed  in  the  Pontine  marshes, 
where  the  fatal  nature  of  the  climate 
acts  on  common  cattle,  but  affects 
buffaloes  less.  It  is  true  that  the  an- 
imal has  been  comparatively  recentiv 
domesticated,  and  that  it  was  doidjl- 
less  known  in  the  time  of  Job  only  as 
a  wild,  savage,  ferocious  animal  ;  but 
still  the  description  here  is  that  of  an 
animal  not  only  that  was  not  then 
tamed,  but  obviously  of  one  that  could 
not  well  be  employed  in  domestic 
purposes.  We  are  to  remember  that 
the  language  here  is  that  of  God  him- 
self, and  that  therefore  it  may  be 
regarded  as  descriptive  of  what  the 
essential  nature  of  the  animal  was, 
rather  than  what  it  was  supposed  to 
be  by  the  persons  to  whom  the  lan- 
guage was  addressed.  One  of  the 
principal  arguments  alleged  for  sup- 
posing that  the  animal  here  referred 
to  by  the  reem  was  the  buffalo,  is, 
that  the  rhinoceros  was  probably  un- 
known in  the  land  where  Job  resided, 
and  that  the  unicorn  was  altogether  a 
fabulous  animal.  This  difficulty  will 
be"  considered  in  the  remarks  to  be 
made  on  the  claims  of  each  of  those 
animals.     III.  It  was  an  early  opin 


242 


JOB, 


ion,  and  the  opinion  was  probably 
entertained  by  the  authors  ot*  the 
Septuagint  translation,  and  by  the  En- 
glish translators  as  vreU  as  by  others, 
that  the  animal  here  referred  to  was 
the  miicorn.  This  animal  was  long 
supposed  to  be  a  fabulous  animal,  and 
it  has  not  been  until  recently  that  the 
evidences  of  its  existence  have  been 
confirmed.  Those  evidences  are  ad- 
duced by  Rosenmilller,  Morgenland, 
ii.  p.  26S>,  seq.,  and  by  Prof.  Robinson, 
Cahnel,  pp.  'J08,  909.  They  are,  sum- 
marily, the  following  :  (1.)  Pliny 
mentions  such  an  animal,  and  gives  a 
description  of  it,  though  from  his  time 
for  centuries  it  seems  to  have  been 
unknown.  His.  jXut.  8.  2].  His 
language  is,  Asperrimam  aulem  feram 
moMocerotem  reliquo  corpore,  equo 
similem,  capite  cervo,  pedibus  ele- 
phaiiti,  Cauda  apro,  mugitu  gravi,  uno 
coriiu  nigro  media  fronte  cubitorum 
ddum  eminente.  Hanc  feram  vivam 
negant  capi.  '  The  unicorn  is  an 
exceeding  fierce  animal,  resembling  a 
horse  as  to  the  rest  of  his  body,  but 
naving  the  head  like  a  stag,  the  feet 
like  an  elephant,  and  the  tail  like  a 
wild  boar  ;  its  roaring  is  loud  ;  and  it 
has  a  black  horn  of  about  two  cubits 
projecting  from  the  middle  of  the 
forehead.'  (2.)  The  figure  of  the 
unicorn,  in  various  attitudes,  accord- 
ing to  Niebuhr,  is  depicted  on  almost 
all  the  staircases  in  the  ruins  of  Per- 
sepolis.  Reiscbcschrcib.  ii.  S.  127. 
(3.)  In  1530,  Ludovico  de  Bartema,  a 
Roman  patrician,  visited  Mecca  un- 
der the  assumed  character  of  a  Mus- 
sulman, and  among  other  curiosities 
that  he  mentions,  he  says,  "  On  the 
other  side  of  the  caaba  is  a  -walled 
court,  in  which  we  saw  two  unicorns 
that  were  pointed  out  to  us  as  a  rari- 
ty ;  and  the}'  are  indeed  truly  remark- 
able. The  larger  of  the  two  is  built 
like  a  three-vear-old  colt,  and  has  a 
horn  upon  the  forehead  about  three 
ells  long.  This  animal  has  the  color 
of  a  yellowish-brown  horse,  a  head 
like  a  stag,  a  neck  not  very  long,  wiili 
a  thin  mane  ;  the  legs  are  small  and 
fllender  like  those  of  a  hind  or  roe  ; 
the  hoofs  of  the  fore  feet  are  divided. 


and  resemble  the  hoofs  of  a  goat. 
Rosenmilller,  .'lite  u.  neue  Moro-cn 
land,  No.  377.  Th.  ii.  S.  271,  27J 
(4.)  Don  Juan  Gabriel,  a  Portugues<. 
colonel,  who  lived  several  years  ii 
Abyssinia,  assures  us  that  in  the  re- 
gion of  vVgamof,  in  the  Abyssinian 
province  of  Dainota,  he  had  seen  an 
animal  of  the  form  and  size  of  a  mid- 
dle-sized horse,  of  a  dark,  chestnut- 
brown  color,  and  with  a  whitish  horn 
about  five  spans  long  upon  its  fore- 
head ;  the  mane  and  tail  were  black, 
and  the  legs  long  and  slender. 
Several  other  Portuguese,  who  were 
placed  in  confinement  upon  a  high 
mountain  in  the  district  Namna,  by 
the  Abyssinian  king  Saghedo,  related 
that  they  had  seen  at  the  mountain 
several  unicorns  feeding.  These  ac- 
counts are  confirmed  by  Father  Lobo, 
who  lived  for  a  long  time  as  a  mis 
sionary  in  Abj'ssinia.  (5.)  Dr.  Sparr 
man,  the  Swedish  naturalist,  who 
visited  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and 
the  adjacent  regions  in  1772-1776, 
gives,  in  his  Travels,  the  following 
account  : — Jacob  Kock,  an  observing 
peasant  on  Hippopotamus  river,  who 
had  travelled  over  a  considerable  part 
of  Southern  Africa,  found  on  the  f<ice 
of  a  perpendicular  rock,  a  drawing 
made  by  the  Hottentots  of  an  animal 
with  a  single  horn.  The  Hottentots 
told  him  that  the  animal  there  repre- 
sented was  very  like  the  horse  on 
which  he  rode,  but  had  a  straight 
horn  upon  the  forehead.  They  add- 
ed, that  these  one-horned  animals 
were  rare  ;  that  they  ran  with  great 
rapidity,  and  that  they  were  very 
fierce.  (6.)  A  similar  animal  is  de- 
scribed as  having  been  killed  by  a 
party  of  Hottentots  in  pursuit  of  the 
savage  Bushmen  in  17;)1  The  ani- 
mal resembled  a  horse,  was  of  a  light 
grey  color,  and  with  white  stripes 
under  the  jaw.  It  had  a  single  horn 
directly  in  front,  as  long  as  one's  arm, 
and  at  tlie  base  about  as  thick.  To- 
wards the  middle  tiie  horn  was  some- 
what flattened,  but  had  a  sliarp  point , 
it  was  not  attached  to  the  bone  of  the 
forehead,  but  was  fixed  only  in  the 
skin.     The  head  was  like  that  of  the 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


243 


horse,  and  the  size  about  the  same. 
These  authorities  are  collected  by 
Rosenniilller,  Alte  u.  neue  Morgen- 
l.and,  vol.  ii.  p.  269  seq.,  ed.  Leipz. 
1818.  (7.)  To  tliese  proofs  one  other 
IS  added  by  Prof.  Robinson.  It  is 
copied  from  the  Quarterly  Review  for 
Oct.  1820  (vol.  xxiv.  p.  120),  in  a  no- 
tice of  Frazer's  Tour  through  the 
Himlaya  mountains.  The  informa- 
tion is  contained  in  a  letter  from  Maj. 
Latter,  commanding  in  the  rajah  of 
Sikkim's  territories,  in  the  hilly  coun- 
try east  of  Nepaul.  This  letter  states 
that  the  unicorn,  so  long  .  considered 
as  a  fabulous  animal,  actually  exists 
in  the  interior  of  Thibet,  where  it  is 
well  known  to  the  inhabitants.  "In 
a  Thibetian  manuscript,"  says  Maj. 
Latter,  "  containing  the  names  of  dif- 
.  ferent  animals,  which  I  procured  the 
other  day  from  the  hills,  the  unicorn 
is  classed  under  the  head  of  those 
whose  hoofs  are  divided  :  it  is  called 
the  one-horned  tso'po.  Upon  inquir- 
ing what  kind  of  an  animal  it  was,  to 
our  astonishment,  the  person  who 
brought  the  manuscript  described  ex- 
actly the  unicorn  of  the  ancients ; 
saying  that  it  was  a  native  of  the  in- 
terior of  Tliibet,  about  the  size  of  a 
tattoo  (a  horse  from  twelve  to  thir- 
teen hands  high),  fierce  and  extremely 
wild  ;  seldom  if  ever  caught  alive, 
but  frequently  shot  ;  and  that  the 
flesh  was  used  for  food.  They  go 
together  in  herds,  like  wild  buffaloes, 
and  are  frequently  to  be  met  with  on 
the  borders  of  the  great,  desert,  in 
that  part  of  the  country  inhabited  by 
wandering  Tartars."  (8.)  To  these 
proofs  I  add  another,  taken  from  the 
Narrative  of  the  Rev.  John  Campbell, 
who  thus  speaks  of  it,  in  his  "  Tra- 
vels in  South  Africa,"  vol.  ii.  p.  294. 
"  While  in  the  filashow  territory,  tlie 
Hottentots  brought  in  a  head  different 
from  any  rhinoceros  that  had  been 
previously  killed.  The  common  Af- 
rican rhinoceros  has  a  crooked  horn 
resembling  a  cock's  spur,  which  rises 
about  nine  or  ten  inches  above  the 
nose,  and  inclines  backward  ;  imme- 
di;itelv  behind  this  is  a  short  thick 
iiorn.     But  the  head  thev  hroua;lit  us 


had  a  straight  horn  projecting  three 
feet  from  the  forehead,  about  ten 
inches  above  the  tip  of  the  nose. 
The  projection  of  this  great  horn  very 
much  resembles  that  of  the  fanciful 
unicorn  in  the  British  arms.  It  has 
a  small,  thick,  horny  substance,  eight 
inches  long,  immediately  behind  it, 
and  which  can  hardly  be  observed  on 
the  animal  at  the  distance  of  one 
hundred  yards,  and  seems  to  be  de- 
signed for  keeping  fast  that  which  is 
penetrated  by  the  long  horn  ;  so  that 
this  species  must  look  like  the  uni- 
corn (in  the  sense  '  one-horned  ') 
when  running  in  the  field.  The 
head  resembled  in  size  a  nine-gallon 
cask,  and  measured  three  feet  from 
the  mouth  to  the  ear  ;  and  being 
much  larger  than  that  of  the  one  with 
the  crooked  horn,  and  which  meas- 
ured eleven  feet  in  lengtii,  the  ani- 
mal itself  must  have  been  still  larger 
and  more  formidable.  From  its 
weight,  and  the  position  of  the  horn, 
it  appears  capable  of  overcoming  any 
creature  hitherto  known."  A  frag- 
ment of  the  skull,  with  the  horn,  is 
deposited  in  the  Museum  of  the  Lon- 
don Missionary  Society.  These  tes 
timonies  from  so  many  witnesses  from 
different  parts  of  the  world,  who 
write  without  concert,  and  yet  who 
concur  so  almost  entirely  in  the  ac- 
count of  tlie  size  and  figure  of  the 
animal,  leave  little  room  to  doubt  its 
real  existence.  That  it  is  not  better 
known,  and  that  its  existence  has 
been  doubted,  is  not  wonderful.  It 
is  to  be  remembered  that  all  accounts 
agree  in  the  representation  that  it  is 
an  animal  whose  residence  is  in  des- 
erts or  mountains,  and  that  large 
parts  of  Africa  and  of  Asia  are  still 
unexplored.  We  are  to  remember, 
also,  that  the  giraffe  has  been  discov- 
ered only  within  a  few  years,  and 
that  the  same  is  true  of  the  gnu, 
wjiich  till  recently  was  held  to  be  a 
fable  of  the  ancients.  At  the  same 
time,  however,  that  tlie  existence  of 
such  an  animal  as  that  of  the  unicorn 
is  in  the  highest  degree  probable,  it 
is  clear  that  it  is  not  the  animal  refer- 
red to  in  tlie  passage   before  us  ;  for 


244 


JOB. 


(1.)  it  is  in  the  highest  degree  improb-  I 
able  that  it  was  so  well  known  as  is  | 
supposed  in  the  description  here  ;  ! 
and  (2.)  the  characteristics  do  not  at 
all  agree  with  the  account  of  the  rccin  i 
of"  the  Scriptures.  Neither  in  regard 
to  the  size  of  the  animal,  its  strength, 
or  the  strength  of  its  horns,  does  it 
coincide  with  the  account  of  that  ani- 
mal in  the  Bible.  IV.  If  neither  of 
the  opinions  above  referred  to  be  cor- 
rect, then  the  only  remaining  opinion 
that  has  weight  is,  that  it  refers  to 
the  rhinoceros.  Besides  tlie  conside- 
rations above  suggested,  it  may  be 
added  that  the  characteristics  of  the 
animal  given  in  the  Scriptures  all 
agree  with  the  rhinoceros.  In  size, 
strength,  wildness,  untamableness, 
and  in  the  power  and  use  of  the  horn, 
those  characteristics  agree  accurately 
with  the  rhinoceros.  The  only  argu- 
ment of  much  weight  against  this 
opinion  is  presented  by  Prof.  Robin- 
son in  the  following  language  :  "  The 
reem  was  obviously  an  animal  well 
known  to  the  Hebrews,  being  every 
where  mentioned  with  other  animals 
common  to  the  country,  while  the 
rliinoceros  was  never  an  inhabitant  of 
the  country,  is  nowhere  else  spoken 
of  by  the  sacred  writers,  nor,  accord- 
ing to  Bochart,  either  by  Aristotle  in 
his  treatise  of  animals,  nor  by  Ara- 
bian writers."  In  reply  to  this  we 
may  observe,  (1.)  that  the  rccm  is 
mentioned  in  the  Scriptures  only  in 
seven  places  (see  above),  showing  at 
least  that  it  was  probably  an  animal 
not  very  well  known  in  that  country, 
or  it  would  have  been  oftener  alluded 
to  ;  (2.)  it  is  not  clear  that  in  those 
places  it  is  'every  where  mentioned 
with  other  animals  common  to  that 
countrv,'  as  in  the  passage  before  us 
there  is  no  allusion  to  any  domestic 
animal  ;  nor  is  there  in  Num.  xxiii. 
22,  xxiv.  8.  Ps.  .xcii.  10.  In  Ps.  xxii. 
21  they  are  mentioned  in  the  same 
verse  with  'lioris  ;'  in  Ps.  xxix.  6,  in 
connection  with  '  calves  ;'  and  in  Isa. 
xxxiv.  7,  with  bnllocks  and  bulls — 
wild  animals  inhabiting  Idumea.  But 
the  entire  account  is  that  of  an  animal 
that  was  untamed    and  that  was  evi- 


dently a  foreign  animal.  (3.)  What 
evidence  is  there  that  the  Hebrews 
were  well  acquainted,  as  Prof.  R. 
supposes,  with  the  unld  hii^ffalo  ?  la 
this  animal  an  inhabitant  of  Pales- 
tine .'  Is  it  'elsewhere'  mentioned 
in  the  Scriptures .''  Is  there  any 
more  evidence  from  the  Bible  that 
they  were  acquainted  with  it  than 
with  the  rhinoceros  ?  (4.)  It  cannot 
be  reasonably  supposed  that  the  He- 
brews were  so  unacquainted  with  the 
rhinoceros  that  there  could  be  no 
allusion  to  it  in  their  writings.  This 
iinimal  was  found  in  Egypt  and  in 
the  adjacent  countries,  and  whoever 
was  the  writer  of  the  book  of  Job, 
there  are  frequent  references  in  the 
book  to  what  was  well  known  in 
Egypt ;  and  at  all  events,  the  He- 
brews hod  lived  too  long  in  Egypt, 
and  had  had  too  much  intercourse 
with  the  Egyptians,  to  be  wholly  ig- 
norant of  tiie  existence  and  general 
character  of  an  animal  well  known 
there,  and  we  in  fact  find  just  about 
as  frequent  mention  of  it  as  we  should 
on  tiiis  supposition.  It  does  not  seem, 
therefore,  to  admit  of  reasonable  doubt 
that  the  rhinoceros  is  referred  to  in 
the  passage  before  us.  This  animal, 
next  to  the  elephant,  is  the  most 
powerful  of  animals.  It  is  usually 
about  twelve  feet  long  ;  from  six  to 
seven  feet  high  ;  and  the  circumfer- 
ence of  its  bod  J'  is  nearly  equal  to  its 
length.  Its  bulk  of  body,  therefore, 
is  about  that  of  the  elephant.  Its 
head  is  furnished  with  a  horn,  grow- 
ing from  tlie  snout,  sometimes  three 
and  a  Jialf  feet  long.  This  horn  is 
erect,  and  perpendicular  to  the  bone 
on  wliich  it  stands,  and  it  has  thus  a 
greater  purchase  or  power  tiian  it 
could  have  in  anv  other  position. 
Bruce.  Occasionally  it  is  found  with 
a  double  horn,  one  above  the  other, 
though  this  is  not  common.  The 
horn  is  entirely  solid,  formed  of  the 
hardest  bony  substance,  and  so  firmly 
growing  on  the  upper  maxillary  bone 
as  seemingly  to  make  but  a  part  of  it, 
and  so  powerful  as  to  justify  all  the 
allusions  in  the  Scriptures  to  the  horn 
of  the  recm.     The  skin  of  this  animal 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


345 


10  Canst  thou  bind  the  uni- 
corn with  his  band  in  the  fur- 
is  naked,  rough,  and  knotty,  lying 
npon  llie  Ixnly  in  I'olds,  and  so  tiiick 
as  to  Inrn  the"  edge  nt"  a  scinR-tar,  or 
to  resist  a  inusket-ball.  The  legs  are 
siiort,  strong,  and  tiiick,  and  the 
iioofs  divided  into  three  parts,  each 
pointing  forward.  It  is  a  native  of 
tiie  deserts  of  Asia  and  Africa,  and  is 
iisuallv  found  iu  tlie  ox'ensive  forests 


rdw  ?     or    will     he 
valleys  after  thee  ? 


harrow    the 


which  are  frequented  hy  the  elepliant 
and  the  lion.  It  has  never  been  do- 
mesticated ;  never  employed  in  agri- 
cultural purposes  ;  and  thus,  iis  well 
as  in  size  and  strength,  accords  wiili 
the  account  which  is  given  of  the 
animal  in  the  passage  bel'ore  us.  Tlie 
i'ollnwing  cut  will  furnish  a  good 
illustration  of  this  animal  : 


TI  Br  icilling  to  serve  thee.  In  plough- 
ing and  harrowing  thy  land,  and  con- 
veying home  the  harvest,  ver.  12.  IF 
Or  abide  by  thy  crib.  As  the  ox  will. 
The  word  here  used  ("p?^)  means 
properly  to  pass  the  night ;  and  then 
to  abide,  remain,  dwell.  There  is 
propriety  in  retaining  here  the  origi- 
nal meaning  of  the  word,  and  the 
sense  is,  Can   he  be  domesticated  or 


tamed  .-     The  rhinoceros    never  has 
been. 

10.  Canst  thou  bind  the  unicorn  icith 
his  band  in  the  furroio  ?  Tliat  is, 
with  the  common  traces  or  cords 
which  are  employed  in  binding  oxen 
to  the  plough.  II  Or  tcill  he  harroio 
the  valleys  after  thee  ?  Tlie  word 
"  valleys"  here  is  used  to  denote  such 
ground     as     was    capable    of    being 


246 


JOB. 


11  Wilt  thou  trust  him,  be- 
cause his  strcngtli  is  great  ?  or 
wilt  thou  leave  thy  labour  to 
liiin  ? 

J2   Wilt     thou    believe    him, 

1  or,  the  feathers  of  the  ntnrlc  anil  ostrich. 

ploiislied  or  iNinowetl.  Hilis  ami 
iiiouiitains  coulil  mil  thus  be  culti- 
vated, tliougli  the  ^[).■ide  vv;is  in  coiii- 
nioii  use  in  pliiniiiig  the  \iiie  ilieve, 
and  even  in  |ni'j';niiig  iheiii  fur  seed. 
Isa.  vii.  25.  The  phrase  "  after  thee" 
indicates  that  the  custom  of  driving 
cattle  in  Jian^wing  then  was  the 
same  as  that  practised  now  ■with 
oxen,  when  the  person  who  employs 
liiem  goes  in  advance  of  them.  It 
shows  that  the)'  were  entirely  under 
subjection,  and  it  is  here  implied  tliat 
the  rcem  could  not  be  thus  tameii. 

11.  IVilt  thou  trust  Ibim  ?  As  tiiou 
dost  tJie  ox.  In  the  domestic  ani- 
mals great  confidence  is  of  necessity 
placed,  and  tiie  reliance  on  the  fidelity 
«f  theo.Y  and  the  Jiorse  is  not  usually 
misplaced.  The  idea  here  is,  that 
the  unicorn  could  not  be  so  tamed 
that  important  interests  could  be 
safely  intrusted  to  him.  IT  Because 
his  strength  is  great  ?  Wilt  thou  con- 
sider his  strength  as  a  reason  why 
important  interests  might  be  intrust- 
ed to  him  .''  The  strength  of  the  ox, 
the  camel,  the  horse,  and  the  ele- 
phant was  a  reason  why  their  aid  vvas 
sought  by  man  to  do  what  he  could, 
not  himself  do.  The  idea  is,  that 
man  could  not  make  use  of  the  same 
reason  for  employing  the  rhinoceros. 
H  IVilt  thou  hare  thy  labor  to  hivi  P 
Or,  rather,  the  atails  of  thy  labor — 
the  harvest. 

12.  Wilt  thou  believe  him  ?  That  is, 
wilt  thou  trust  him  with  the  produc- 
tions of  the  field  .'  The  idea  is,  lluit 
he  was  an  untamed  and  unsubdued 
animal.  He  could  not  be  governed, 
like  the  camel  or  the  ox.  If  tiie 
sheaves  of  the  harvest  were  laid  on 
him,  there  would  be  no  certainty  that 
he  would  convey  them  where  the 
farmer  wished  them.  H  Jlnd  gather  it 
into   thy  barn?     Or,  rather,   '  to  thy 


that  he  will  bring  home  thy  seed, 
and  gather  it  into  thy  barn  ? 

13  Gavcst  thou  the  goodly 
wings  unto  the  peacocks  ?  or 
'  wings  and  feathers  unto  the  os- 
trich \ 


tlireshing-tioor,'  lor  so  the  word  iierc 
used  ("i"r:>)  means.  It  was  not  common 
to  gather  a  harvest  into  a  barn^  but  it 
was  usually  collected  on  a  hard-trod 
place  and  there  threshed  and  win- 
nowed. For  the  use  of  the  word, 
see  Ruth  iii.  2.  Judges  vi.  37.  Num. 
xviii.  30.  Isa.  xxi    10. 

13.  Gavest  thou  the  goodly  irin^s 
■itnio  the  peacoclis?  In  the  jjrevious 
verses  the  ajjpeal  had  l)een  to  the 
wild  and  untamable  animals  of  the 
desert.  In  the  pro.secution  of  the 
ai-gtunent,  it  was  natural  to  allude  to 
the  feathered  tribes  which  resided 
there  also,  and  which  were  distin 
guished  for  their  strength  or  fleetness 
of  wing,  as  proof  of  the  wisdom  and 
the  superintending  providence  of 
God.  The  idea  is,  that  these  animals, 
far  away  from  the  abodes  of  man, 
where  it  could  not  be  pretended  that 
man  had  any  thing  to  do  with  their 
training,  had  habits  and  instincts  j)e- 
culiar  to  tliemselves,  which,  showed 
great  variety  in  the  divine  phms,  and 
at  the  same  lime  consummate  wis- 
dom. Tl'.e  ap^ieal  in  the  following 
verses  (13-18)  is  to  the  remarkable 
luibits  of  the  ostrich,  as  illustrating 
the  wisdom  and  the  superintending 
providence  of  God.  There  has  been 
very  great  variety  in  the  translation 
of  this  verse,  and  it  is  important  to 
ascertain  its  real  meaning  in  order  to 
know  whether  tliere  is  any  allusion 
here  to  the  peacock,  or  whether  it  re- 
fers wholly  to  the  ostrich.  The  LXX 
did  not  understand  the  passage,  and 
a  ptirt  of  the  words  they  endeavored 
to  translate,  but  the  others  are  re- 
tained without  any  attempt  to  ex- 
plain them.  Their  version  is, //rfoi/ij 
rtoTTOfif'ru))'  r(f?.arroa,  ^ai'  ovD.d^hj 
dfiiila  y.al  vfoiia — "  the  wing  of  the 
exulting  Neelassa  if  she  conceives 
[or    comprehends]     the     Asis     ami 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


247 


Nes.sa."  Jerome  renders  it,  "  Tlie 
wing  of  tlie  oslri'-li  i^i  like  tlie  v^■ings 
ot'tlie  falcon  and  tiieliawU  "  Sclinl- 
tens  renders  it,  "  Tlie  wing  of  the 
(islricli  is  exulting  :  but  is  it  tlie  wing 
a!id  the  plumage  of  the  stork  ?"  lie 
enumerates  no  less  than  tzccnty  dif- 
ercnt  interpretations  of  the  passage. 
Herder  renders  it, 

"  A  wiii^  witli  joyous  cry  is  uplifted  yonrler ; 
Is  it  tlie  win;;  aiul  feather  of  the  ostrich?" 

I 
Umbreit  renders  it,  j 

"  The  win;;  of  tlie  ostrich,  whicli  lifts  itself  i 

joyfully,  j 

Does  it  not  resemble  the  tail  and  feather  of  \ 

the  stork  ?"  i 

IlosenmOller  renders  it,  j 

"  'J'he  wing  of  the  ostrich  exults  ! 
Truly  its  "ing  and  plumage  is  like  that  of  the 
stork!" 

Prof.  Lee  renders  it,  "  Wilt  thou 
confide  in  the  exulting  of  the  wings 
of  the  ostrich  '  Or  in  her  choice 
feathers  and  liead-pluniage,  when  she 
leuveth  iier  eggs  to  the  earth,"  &c 
So  Coverdale  renders  it,  "  The 
ostrich  (whose  feathers  are  fairer 
than  the  wings  of  the  sparrow-hawk), 
when  he  hath  laid  his  eggs  upon  the 
ground,  he  breedeth  tiiem  in  the  dust, 
and  forgetteth  them."  In  none  of 
these  versions,  and  in  none  that  I 
iiave  examined  except  that  of  Luther 
and  the  common  English  version,  is 
there  any  allusion  to  the  peacock; 
and  amidst  all  the  variety  of  the  ren- 
dering, and  all  the  difficulty  of  the 
passage,  there  is  a  common  sentiment 
that  the  ostrich  alone  is  referred  to  as 
the  particular  subject  of  the  descrip- 
tion. It  is  certain  that  the  descrip- 
tion proceeds  with  reference  only 
to  the  habits  of  the  ostrich,  and  it 
is  very  evident  to  my  mind  that  in 
the  whole  passage  there  is  no  allusion 
whatever  to  the  peacock.  Neither 
the  sco))e  of  the  passage,  nor  the 
words  employed,  it  is  believed,  will 
admit  of  such  a  reference.  There  is 
great  difficulty  in  the  Hebrew  text, 
whicii  no  one  has  been  able  fully  to 
explain,  but  it  is  sufficient!}  clear  to 
make  it  manifest  that  the  ostrich,  and 
not  the  peacock, is  the  subject  of  the 
appeal.    Tiie  word  which  is  rendered 


peacock,  C"'25'1  — 7-cndnim,  is  derived 
from  "i?'^  — rdndn,  to  give  forth  a 
tremulous  and  striduloiis  sound  ;  and 
tiien  to  give  lortli  tiie  voice  in  vibra- 
tions ;  to  shake  or  trill  the  voice  ;  and 
then,  as  in  lamentation  or  joy  the 
voice  is  often  given  forth  in  that  man- 
ner, the  word  comes  to  mean  to  uttci 
cries  of  joy,  Isa.xii.  6,  xxxv.  6  ;  and 
also  cries  ol"  lamentation  or  inourn- 
ing.  Lam.  ii.  19.  The  prevailing 
sense  of  the  word  in  the  Scriptures  is 
to  rejoice  ;  to  shout  for  joy  ;  to  ex- 
ult. The  name  is  here  given  to  the 
bird  referred  to,  evidently  from  tJie 
sound  wliich  it  made,  and  probably 
from  its  exulting  or  joyful  cry.  The 
word  does  not  elsewhere  occur  in 
tlie  Scriptures  as  applicable  to  a  bird, 
and  there  is  no  reason  whatever, 
either  from  its  etymology,  or  from  the 
connection  in  which  it  is  found  here, 
to  suppose  that  it  refers  to  the  peacock. 
Another  reason  is  suggested  by 
Scheutzer  (Phys.  Sac.  in  loc),  why 
the  peacock  cannot  be  intended  here. 
It  is,  that  the  peacock  is  originally  an 
East  Indian  fowl,  and  that  it  was  im- 
ported at  comparatively  a  late  period 
in  the  Jewish  history,  and  was  doubt- 
less unknown  in  the  time  of  Job.  In 
1  Kings  X.  22,  and  2  Chron.  ix.  21,  it 
appears  that  peacocks  were  among 
the  remarkable  productions  of  distant 
countries  that  were  imported  for  use 
or  luxury  by  Solomon,  a  fact  which 
would  not  have  occurred  had  they 
been  common  in  the  patriarchal 
times.  To  these  reasons  to  show 
that  the  peacock  is  not  referred  to 
here,  Bochart,  whose  chapters  on  the 
subject  deserve  a  careful  attention 
(Hieroz.  P.  ii.  L.  ii.  c.  xvi.,  xvii.), 
has  added  the  following:  (1.)  That  if 
the  peacock  had  been  intended  here, 
the  allusion  would  not  have  been  so 
brief.  Of  so  remarkable  a  bird  there 
would  have  been  an  extended  de- 
scription as  there  is  of  the  ostrich, 
and  of  the  unicorn  and  the  horse.  If 
the  allusion  is  to  the  peacock,  it  is  by 
a  bare  mention  of  the  name,  and  by  no 
argument,  as  in  other  cases,  from  the 
habits  and  instincts  of  the  fowl.  (2.) 
The   word  which  is  here  used  as  a 


248 


JOB. 


description  of  the  bird  referred  to, 
n*^33'n  — rendnim,  derived  from  the 
musical  properties  of  the  bird,  is  by 
no  means  applicable  to  the  peacock. 
It  is  of  all  fowls,  perhaps,  least  dis- 
tinguished for  beauty  ol"  voice.  (3.) 
The  property  ascribed  to  the  fowl 
liere  of  "  exulting  in  the  wing,"  by 
no  means  agrees  with  tlie  peacock. 
The  glory  and  beauty  of  that  bird  is 
in  the  tail,  and  not  in  the  loiiig.  Yet 
the  wing  is  here,  from  some  cause, 
particularly  specified.  Bochart  lias 
demonstrated  at  great  length,  and 
with  entire  clearness,  that  the  peacock 
w^as  a  foreign  fowl,  and  that  it  must 
have  been  unknown  in  Judea  and 
Arabia,  as  it  was  in  Greece  and 
Rome,  at  a  period  long  after  the  time 
in  whicli  the  book  of  Job  is  com- 
monly supposed  to  have  been  written. 
The  proper  translation  of  the  Hebrew 
here  then  would  be,  '  The  wing  of 
the  exulting  fowls  moves  joijfulbj" — 
•^9^??  •  The  attention  seems  to  be 
directed  to  the  icing,  as  being  lifted 
up,  or  as  vibrating  with  rapidity,  or 
as  being  triumphant  in  its  movement 
jn  eluding  the  pursuer.  It  is  not  its 
Leriutij  particularly  that  attracts  the 
attention,  but  its  exulting,  joyful, 
triumphant  appearance.  II  Or  icings 
and  feathers  unto  the  ostrich  ?  Marg. 
"  or,  the  feathers  of  the  stork  and 
ostrich."  Most  commentators  have 
despaired  of  making  any  sense  out  of 
the  Hebrew  in  this  place,  and  thei-e 
have  been  almost  as  many  conjectures 
as  there  have  been  expositors.     The 

Hebrew  is,  i^^^i  ?in"'pn  n-nsx-rx. 

A  literal  translation  of  it  would  be, 
'  Is  it  the  wing  of  the  stork,  and 
the  plumage,'  or  feathers  ?  The  ob- 
ject seems  to  be  to  institute  a  compa- 
rison of  some  kind  between  the 
ostrich  and  the  stork.  This  compa- 
rison, it  would  seem,  relates  partly  to 
the  wings  and  pluuiage  of  the  two 
birds,  and  partly  to  their  habits  and 
instincts — though  tlie  latter  point  of 
comparison  appears  to  be  couciied  in 
the  mere  name.  So  far  as  I  can  un- 
derstand the  passage,  the  comparison 
relates^rst  to  the  wings  and  plumage. 


Tiie  point  of  vision  is  that  of  the  sud- 
den appearance  of  the  ostrich  with 
exulting  vving,  and  the  attention  is 
directed  to  it  as  in  the  bounding  speed 
of  its  movements  when  in  rapid 
flight.  In  this  view  the  usual  name 
is  not  given  to  the  bird— HJ^I)  ^"'-^  , 
Isa.  xiii.  21,  xxxiv.  13,  xliii.  20.  Jer 
1.  3;>,  but  merely  the  name  of  fowls 
makingastridulousor  whizzing  sound 
—  D"'33~i  .  The  question  is  then  asked 
whether  it  has  the  icing  and  plumage 
of  the  stork — evidently  implying  that 
the  wing  of  the  stork  might  be  sup- 
posed to  be  adapted  to  sucti  a  flight, 
but  that  it  was  remarkable  that  with 
out  such  wings  the  ostrich  was  able 
to  outstrip  even  the  fleetest  animal. 
The  question  is  designed  to  turn  the 
attention  to  the  fact  that  tlie  ostrich 
accomplishes  its  flight  in  this  re 
markable  manner  icithout  being  en 
dowed  with  wings  like  the  stork, 
which  is  capable  of  sustaining  by  its 
wings  a  long  and  rapid  flight.  The 
other  point  of  the  comparison  seeuis 
couched  in  the  wime  given  to  the 
stork,  and  the  design  is  to  contrast 
the  habits  of  the  ostrich  with  those  of 
this  bird — particularly  in  reference  to 
their  care  for  their  young.  The 
name  given  to  tlie  stork  is  •T^'^O'!!  — 
hhasida,  meaning  literally  the  pious, 
a  name  usually  given  to  it — avis  pia, 
from  its  tenderness  toward  its  young 
— a  virtue  for  which  it  was  celebrated 
by  the  ancients.  Pliny  Hist.  J\"ut.  x  ; 
Aelian  Hist.  An.  3,  23.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  Arabs  call  the  ostricli  the 
impious  or  ungodly  bird,  on  account 
of  its  neglect  and  cruelty  towards  its 
young.  The  fact  that  the  ostricn 
thus  neglects  its  young,  is  dwelt  upon 
in  the  passage  befure  us  (vs.  14-17), 
and  in  this  respect  she  is  placed  in 
strong  contrast  with  the  stork.  The 
verse  then,  I  suppose,  may  1<3  ren- 
dered thus  : 

'•  A  wing  of  exulting  fowls  moves  joyfully  ! 
Is  it  the  wing  ami  the  plumajje  of  tiie  pious 
bird  ?" 

meaning  that  both  in  regard  to  the 
wing  and  tiie  habits  of  the  two  there 
was  a  strong  contrast,  and  yet  design 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 


249 


ing  to  sliow  that  what  seems  to  he  a 
defect  in  the  size  and  vigor  of  the 
wing,  and  wliat  seems  to  be  stupid 
forgelfulness  of  tiie  bird  in  regard  to 
its  young,  is  proof  of  tiie  wisdom  of 
tiie  Creator,  wiio  has  so  made  it  as  to 
be  able  to  outstrip  the  fleetest  horse, 
and  to  be  adaj'ted  to  its  shy  and  timid 
mode  of  lile  iii  the  desert.  Tiie  os- 
trich, whose  principal  ciiaracteristics 
are  beautifully  and  strikingly  detailed 
in  this  passage  in  Job,  is  a  native  of 
the  torrid  regions  of  Arabia  and  Afri- 
ca. It  is  the  largest  of  the  feathered 
tribes,  and  is  the  connecting  link  be- 
tween quadrupeds  and  fowls.  It  has 
the  general  properties  and  outlines  of 
a  bird,  and  yet  retains  many  of  the 
marks  of  the  quadruped.  In  appear- 
ance, the  ostrich  resembles  the  camel, 
and  is  almost  as  tall  ;  and  in  the  Ea.st 
is  called  "  tlie  camel-bird."  (Calme.t.) 
It  is  covered  with  a  plumage  that  re- 
sembles hair  more  nearly  than  feath- 
ers ;  and  its  internal  parts  bear  as 
near  a  resemblance  to  those  of  the 
quadruped  as  of  the  bird  creation. 
Goldsmilh.  See  also  Poiret's  Travels 
in  the  Barhary  States,  as  quoted  liy 
Rosenmilller,  Alte  u.  iieue  Morgcn- 
land,  No.  770.  A  full  description  is 
there  given  of  the  appearance  and 
liabits  of  the  ostrich.  Its  head  and 
bill  resemble  those  of  a  duck  ;  the 
neck  may  be  compared  with  that  of 
the  swan,  though  it  is  much  longer  ; 
the  legs  and  thighs  resemble  those  of 
a  hen,  but  are  fleshy  and  large.  The 
end  of  the  foot  is  cloven,  and  has  two 
very  large  toes,  which  like  the  leg 
are  covered  witli  scales.  The  lieight 
of  the  ostricli  is  usually  seven  feet 
from  the  head  to  the  ground  ;  but 
from  the  hack  it  is  only  four,  so  that 
the  head  and  the  neck  are  about  three 
feet  long.  From  the  head  to  the  end 
of  the  tail,  when  the  neck  is  stretched 
in  a  right  line,  the  length  is  se\en 
feet.  One  of  the  wings  with  the 
feathers  spread  out  is  three  feet  in 
length.  At  the  end  of  the  wing  there 
is  a  species  of  spur,  almost  like  the 
quill  of  a  porcupine.  It  is  an  inch 
long,  and  is  hollow,  and  of  a  bony 
substance.     The  plumage  is  generally 


white  and  black,  though  forne  of 
liieni  are  said  to  be  gray.  There  are 
no  feathers  on  the  sides  of  the  thigh.s, 
nor  under  the  wings.  It  has  not, 
like  most  birds,  feathers  of  various 
kinds,  but  they  are  all  bearded  with 
detached  hairs  or  filaments,  ^vitllout 
consistence  ;ind  reciprdcal  adherence. 
The  feathers  of  the  ostrich  are  almost 
as  soft  as  down,  and  are  therefore 
wholly  unfit  for  flying,  or  to  defend 
the  body  from  external  injury.  The 
feathers  of  other  birds  iia\e  the  webs 
broader  on  one  side  than  the  other, 
but  those  of  the  ostrich  iiave  the  shaft 
exactly  in  the  middle.  In  other 
birds,  the  filaments  that  compose  the 
feathers  of  the  wings  are  firmly  at- 
tached to  each  other,  or  are  hooked 
together,  so  that  they  are  adapted  to 
catch  and  resist  the  air  ;  on  those  of 
the  ostrich  no  such  attachments  are 
found.  The  consequence  is,  that 
they  cannot  oppose  to  the  air  a  suit- 
able resistance,  as  is  the  case  with 
other  birds,  and  are  therefore  inca- 
pable of  flying,  and  in  fact  never 
mount  on  tlie  wing.  The  wing  is 
used  (see  Notes  on  ver.  18)  only  to 
htilancc  the  bird,  and  to  aid  it  in 
running.  The  great  size  of  the  bird 
— weighing  seventy-five  or  eighty- 
pounds — would  require  an  immense 
power  of  wing  to  elevate  it  in  the 
air,  and  it  has,  therefore,  been  fur- 
nished with  the  means  of  surpassing 
all  other  animals  in  the  rapidity  with 
which  it  runs,  so  tiiat  it  may  escape 
its  pursuers.  The  ostrich  is  made  to 
live  in  the  wilderness,  and  it  was 
called  by  the  ancients  "  a  lover  of  the 
deserts."  It  is  shy  and  timorous  in 
no  common  degree,  and  avoids  the 
cultivated  fields,  and  the  abodes  of 
man,  and  retreats  into  the  utmost 
recesses  of  the  desert.  In  those  dreary 
wastes  its  subsistence  is  the  few 
tufts  of  coarse  grass  which  are  scat- 
tered here  and  there,  but  it  will  eat 
almost  any  thing  that  comes  in  its 
way.  It  is  the  most  voracious  of 
animals,  and  \vill  devour  leather, 
glass,  hair,  iron,  stones,  or  any  thing 
that  is  given.  V'alisnieri  found  the 
first  stomach  filled  with  a  quantity  of 


250 


JOB. 


incongruous  substances  ;  gva-ss,  nuts, 
cords,  stones,  glass,  brass,  copper, 
iron,  tin,  lead,  and  wood,  and  among 
the  rest,  a  piece  of  stone  that  weighed 
more  than  a  pound.  It  would  seem 
that  the  ostrich  is  obliged  to  fill  up 
the  great  capacity  of  its  stomach  in 
order  to  be  at  ease  ;  but  tliat,  nutri- 
tious substances  not  occurring,  it 
pours  in  whatever  is  at  hand  to  sup- 
ply the  void.  The  flesh  of  the  os- 
trich was  forbidden  by  the  laws  of 
Moses  to  be  eaten  (Lev.  xi.  13),  but 
it  is  eaten  by  some  of  tlie  savage  na- 
tions of  Africa,  who  hunt  tiiem  for 
their  flesh,  which  they  regard  as  a 
dainty.  The  principal  value  of  the 
ostrich,  however,  and   the  principal 


reason  why  it  is  hunted,  is  in  the 
long  feathers  that  compose  the  wing 
and  the  tail,  and  which  are  used  so 
extensivelv  for  ornaments.  The  an 
cients  used  these  plumes  in  their  hel- 
mets ;  the  ladies  in  the  East,  as  well 
as  in  the  West,  use  them  to  decorate 
their  persons,  and  tliey  have  been 
extensively  employed  also  as  badges 
of  mourning  on  hearses.  The  Ara- 
bians assert  that  the  ostrich  never 
drinks,  and  the  chosen  place  of  its 
habitation — the  waste,  sandy  desert 
— seems  to  confirm  the  assertion.  As 
the  ostrich,  in  the  passage  before  us, 
is  contrasted  with  the  stork,  the  ac- 
companying illustrations  will  serve  to 
explain  the  passage. 


■^'SR^'  -  '^ 


251 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

j  14   Which  leaveth  her  eggs  in  |  tlic  onrth,  ;in(l  vvarmeth   them  in 

[  I  dust, 


]  t.  JVkic/i  Ic'ivrtli  her  eggs  in  the 
eur>,/i.  That  is,  she  does  not  build  a 
nes  ,  as  most  birds  do,  l)tit  deposits 
her  e^gs  in  the  sand.  Tiie  ostricl), 
Ur.  Sliaw  remarks,  lays  usually  from 
thirty  to  fifty  eggs.  The  eggs  are 
very  large,  some  of  them  being  aI)ove 


five  inches  in  diameter,  and  weighing 
fifteen  pounds.  Goldsmith.  "  We 
are  not  to  consider,"  says  Dr.  Shaw, 
"  this  large  collection  of  eggs  as  if 
thev  were  all  intended  for  a  brood. 
They  arc  tlie  greatest  part  of  them 
reserved    fcr   food,    which    the    dam 


252 


JOB. 


15  And    forgetteth    that    the 


breaks,  and  disposetli  of  according  to 
the  number  and  cravings  of  her  young 
ones."  The  idea  vvliich  seems  to  be 
conveyed  in  our  common  version  is, 
that  the  ostricJi  deposits  her  eggs  in 
the  sand,  and  then  leaves  tliem,  witli- 
(jut  further  care,  to  be  liatclied  by  tlie 
Jieat  of  the  sun.  This  idea  is  not, 
however,  necessarily  implied  in  tlie 
original,  and  is  contrary  to  fact.  The 
truth  is,  that  the  eggs  are  deposited 
with  great  care,  and  with  so  much 
attention  to  the  manner  in  which 
they  are  placed,  that  a  line  drawn 
from  those  in  the  extremities  would 
just  touch  the  tops  of  the  interme- 
diate ones  (see  Damir,  as  quoted  by 
TJochart,  Ilicroz.  P.  ii.  Lib.  ii.  c.  xvii. 
p.  2-j3),  and  that  they  are  hatched,  as 
the  eggs  of  other  birds  are,  in  a  great 
measure  by  the  heat  imparted  by  the 
incubation  of  the  parent  bird.  It  is 
true  that  in  the  hot  climates,  where 
these  birds  live,  there  is  less  necessity 
for  constant  incubation  than  in  colder 
latitudes,  and  that  the  parent  bird  is 
more  frequently  absent ;  but  she  is 
accustomed  regularly  to  return  at 
night,  and  carefully  broods  over  her 
eggs.  See  Le  Vaillant,  Travels  in  the 
Interior  of  Africa,  ii.  209,  305.  It  is 
true  also  that  the  parent  bird  wanders 
sometimes  far  from  the  place  where 
the  eggs  are  deposited,  and  forgets 
the  place,  and  in  this  case  if  another 
nest  of  eggs  is  seen,  she  is  not  con- 
cerned whether  they  are  her  own  or 
not,  for  she  is  not  endowed  with  the 
power  of  distinguishing  between  her 
own  eggs  and  those  of  another.  This 
fact  seems  to  have  given  rise  to  all 
the  fables  stated  by  the  Arabic  wri- 
ters about  the  stupidity  of  the  ostricli  ; 
about  her  leaving  her  eggs  ;  and 
about  her  disposition  to  sit  on  the 
eggs  of  others.  Bochart  has  collected 
many  of  these  opinions  from  the 
Arabic  writers,  among  which  are  the 
following  :  Alkazuinius  says,  "  They 
say  that  no  bird  is  more  foolish  than 
the  ostrich,  for  while  it  forsakes  its 
own  eggs,  it  sits  on  the  eggs  of  others ; 


foot  may  crush  them,  or  that  the 
wild  beast  may  break  them. 


whence  the  proverb,  Every  animal 
loves  its  own  young  except  the  os- 
trich." Ottomanus  says,  "  Every 
animal  loves  its  own  progeny  except 
the  ostrich.  But  that  pertains  only 
to  the  male.  For  although  the  com- 
mon proverb  imputes  folly  to  the  fe- 
male, yet  with  her  folly  she  loves  her 
j-oung,  and  feeds  them,  and  teaches 
them  to  fly,  the  same  as  other  ani- 
mals." Damir,  an  Arabic  writer, 
says,  "  When  the  ostrich  goes  forth 
from  her  nest,  that  she  may  seek 
food,  if  she  finds  the  egg  of  another 
ostrich,  she  sits  on  that,  and  forgets 
her  own.  And  when  driven  away  by 
hunters,  she  never  returns  ;  whence 
it  is  that  she  is  described  as  foolish, 
and  that  the  proverb  in  regard  to  her 
has  originated."  IT  And  icarmcth 
thcvi  in  dust.  The  idea  which  was 
evidently  in  the  mind  of  the  transla 
tors  in  this  passage  was,  that  the  os- 
trich left  her  eggs  in  the  dust  to  be 
hatched  by  the  heat  of  the  sun.  This 
is  not  correct,  and  is  not  necessarily 
implied  in  the  Hebrew,  though  un- 
doubtedly the  heat  of  the  sand  is 
made  to  contribute  to  the  process  of 
hatching  the  egg,  and  allows  the  pa- 
rent bird  to  be  absent  longer  from 
her  nest  than  birds  in  colder  climates. 
This  seems  to  be  all  that  is  implied 
in  the  passage. 

15.  And  forgetteth  that  thn  foot  via y 
crush  them.  She  lays  her  eggs  in 
the  sand,  and  not  as  most  birds  do,  in 
nests  made  on  branches  of  trees,  or 
on  the  crags  of  rocks,  where  they 
would  be  inaccessible,  as  if  she  was 
forgetful  of  the  fact  that  the  wild 
beast  might  pass  along  and  crush 
them.  She  often  wanders  away  from 
them,  also,  and  does  not  stay  near 
them  to  guard  them,  as  most  parent 
birds  do,  as  if  she  were  unmindful  o{ 
the  danger  to  which  they  might  be 
exposed  when  she  was  absent.  The 
object  of  all. this  seems  to  be,  to  call 
the  attention  to  the  peculiarity  in  the 
natural  history  of  this  bird,  and  to 
observe   that   there    were    laws    and 


'^HAPTER  XXXIX. 


253 


16  She  is  hardened  "  against 
lier  young  ones,  as  though  therj 
were  not  hers  :  her  labour  is  in 
vain  without  Tear  : 

17  Because  God  hath  deprived 


arrnngenienls  in  regard  to  it  wliich 
seemed  to  show  that  slie  was  deprived 
of  wisdom,  and  yet  tliat  everv  thing 
was  so  ordered  as  to  ])rove  that  she 
was  under  the  care  of  tlie  Almighty. 
Tlie  great  rariclij  in  the  hiws  per- 
taining to  the  animal  kingdom,  and 
especially  their  want  of  resemblance 
to  what  would  have  occurred  to  man, 
seems  to  give  the  peculiar  force  and 
point  to  the  argument  here  used. 

16.  She  is  hardened  against  her 
young  ones.  The  obvious  meaning 
of  this  passage,  which  is  a  fair  trans- 
lation of  the  Hebrew,  is,  that  the  os- 
trich is  destitute  of  natural  affection 
for  her  young  ;  or  that  she  treats 
them  as  if  she  had  not  the  usual  natu- 
ral affection  manifested  in  the  animal 
creation.  This  sentiment  also  occurs 
in  Lam.  iv.  3,  "The  daughter  of  my 
people  is  become  cruel,  like  the  os- 
triches in  the  wilderness."  Tliis 
opinion  is  controverted  by  Buffon, 
but  seeius  fully  sustained  by  those 
who  have  most  attentively  observed 
the  liabits  of  the  ostrich.  Dr.  Shaw, 
as  quoted  by  Paxton,  and  in  Robin- 
son's Calmet,  says,  "On  the  least 
noise  or  trivial  occasion,  she  forsakes 
Jier  eggs  or  her  young  ones,  to  which 
perhaps  she  never  returns  ;  or  if  she 
does,  it  may  be  too  late  either  to  re- 
store life  to  the  one,  or  to  preserve 
the  lives  of  the  others."  "Agree- 
able to  this  account,"  says  Paxton, 
"  the  Arabs  meet  sometimes  with 
whole  nests  of  these  eggs  undisturbed, 
gome  of  which  are  sweet  and  good, 
and  others  addle  and  corrupted  ;  oth- 
ers agaih  have  their  young  ones  of 
tlifferent  growths,  according  to  the 
lime  it  may  be  presumed  they  have 
been  forsaken  by  the  dam.  They 
oftener  meet  a  few  of  the  little  ones, 
not  bigger  than  well-grown  pullets, 
Jialf-starved,  straggling  and   moaning 


her  of  wisdom,  neither  *  hath  he 
imparted  to  her  understanding. 

J 8  What  time  she  lifteth  up 
herself  on  high,  she  scorneth  the 
horse  and  his  rider. 


about  like  so  many  distressed  orplians 
for  their  mothers."  Ii  Her  liihor  is  in 
vain  irit/ioat  fear.  Herder  renders 
this,  "  In  vain  is  her  travail,  but  she 
regards  it  not."  The  idea  in  tiie  ])as- 
sage  seems  to  be  this  :  that  tlie  os- 
trich has  not  that  apprehension,  or 
provident  care  for  her  young  which 
otiier  birds  have.  It  does  not  mean 
that  she  is  an  animal  remarkably  bold 
and  courageous,  for  the  contrary  is 
the  fact,  and  she  is,  according  to  tlif 
Arabian  writers,  timid  to  a  proverb  , 
but  that  she  has  nothing  of  the  anx- 
ious solicitude  for  lier  young  wjiich 
others  seem  to  have, — the  dread  that 
they  may  be  in  want,  or  in  danger, 
which  leads  them,  often  at  tJie  peril 
of  their  own  lives,  to  provide  for  and 
defend  them. 

17.  Because  God  hath  deprived  he? 
of  wisdom,  &c.  That  is,  lie  has  not 
imparted  to  her  the  wisdom  whicli 
has  been  conferred  on  other  animals. 
The  meaning  is,  that  all  this  remark- 
able arrangement,  which  distinguish- 
ed the  ostrich  so  much  from  other 
animals,  was  to  be  traced  to  God.  It 
was  not  the  result  of  chance  ;  it 
could  not  be  pretended  that  it  was  by 
a  human  arrangement,  but  it  was  the 
result  of  divine  appointment.  Even 
in  tliis  apparent  destitution  of  wis- 
dom, there  were  reasons  wliich  had 
led  to  this  appointment,  and  the  care 
and  good  providence  of  God  could  be 
seen  in  the  preservation  of  the  animal. 
Particularly,  though  apparently  so 
weak,  and  timid,  and  unwise,  the 
ostrich  had  a  noble  bearing  (ver.  18), 
and  when  aroused,  would  scorn  the 
fleetest  horse  in  the  pursuit,  and 
show  that  slie  was  distinguished  for 
properties  that  were  expressive  of  the 
goodness  of  God  towards  her,  and  of 
his  care  over  her. 

18.  What  time  she  lifteth  vp  hers  'j 


^4 


JOB. 


on  high.  In  the  previous  verses  ref- 
erence had  been  made  to  the  fact  that 
in  some  important  respects  the  os- 
trich was  inferior  to  other  animals, 
or  had  peculiar  laws  in  regard  to  its 
habits  and  preservation.  Here  the 
attention  is  called  to  the  fact  tliat, 
notwiihstanding  its  inferiority  in  some 
respects,  it  liad  properties  such  as  to 
command  the  highest  admiration.  Its 
lofty  carriage,  the  rapidity  of  its 
llight,  and  the  proud  scorn  with  which 
it  would  elude  the  pursuit  of  the  tleet- 
est  coursers,  were  all  things  that 
showed  that  God  had  so  endowed  it 
as  to  furnish  proof  of  his  wisdom. 
The  phrase  '  what  time  she  lifteth  up 
herself,'  refers  to  the  fact  that  she 
raises  herself  for  her  rapid  flight.  It 
does  not  mean  that  .she  would  mount 
on  her  wings,  for  this  the  ostrich  can- 
not do  ;  but  to  the  fact  that  this  timid 
and  cowardly  bird  would,  when  dan- 
ger was  near,  rouse  herself,  and  as- 
sume a  lofty  courage  and  bearing. 
The    word    here    translated    '  lifteth 

up  '  (J^'^'^'^r'!!)  means  properly  to  lash, 
to  whip,  as  a  horse,  to  increase  its 
speed,  and  is  here  supposed  by  Gese- 
nius  to  be  used  as  denoting  that  the 
ostrich  by  flapping  her  wings  lashes 
herself  up  as  it  were  to  her  course. 
All  the  ancient  interpretations,  how- 
ever, as  well  as  the  common  English 
version,  render  it  as  if  it  were  but 
another  form  of  the  word  C^"i,  rian, 
to  raise  one's  self  up,  or  to  rise  up,  as 
if  the  ostrich  aroused  herself  up  for 
lier  flight.  Herder  renders  it,  "  At 
once  she  is  up,  and  urges  herself  for- 
ward." Taylor  (in  Calmet)  renders 
it, 

'•  Vet  at  the  lime  she  linujiitily  assumes  cour- 
age ; 
She  scorncth  the  liorse  and  his  rider." 

The  leading  idea  is,  that  she  rouses 
herself  to  escape  her  pursuer  ;  she 
lifts  up  her  head  and  body,  and  spreads 
her  wings,  and  then  bids  defiance  to 
any  thing  to  overtake  her.  IT  She 
scorncth  the  horse  and  his  rider.  In 
the  pursuit.  That  is,  she  runs  faster 
than  the  fleetest  horse,  and  easily  es- 
capes.    The  extraordinary  rapidity  of 


the  ostrich  has  always  been  celebra- 
ted, and  it  is  well  known  that  sh« 
can  easily  outstrip  the  fleetest  horse 
Its  swiftness  is  mentioned  by  Xeno- 
phon,  in  liis  Anabasis  ;  for,  speaking 
of  the  desert  of  Aral)ia,  he  says,  that 
ostriches  are  freqi;ently  seen  there  ; 
that  none  could  overtake  them  ;  and 
that  horsemen  who  pursued  them 
were  obliged  soon  to  give  over,  "  for 
the-y  escaped  far  awav,  making  use 
both  of  their  feet  to  run,  and  of  their 
wings,  v\'hen  expanded,  as  a  sail,  to 
waft  them  along."  Marmelius,  as 
quoted  b}-  Bochart  (see  above),  speak- 
ing of  a  remarkable  kind  of  horses, 
says,  "  that  in  Africa,  Egypt,  and 
Arabia,  there  is  but  one  species  of 
that  kind  which  they  call  the  Ara- 
bian, and  that  those  are  produced  only 
in  the  deserts  of  Arabia.  Their  velo- 
city is  wonderful  ;  nor  is  there  any 
better  evidence  of  their  remarkable 
swiftness,  than  is  flirnished  when 
they  pursue  the  camel-bird."  It  's  a 
common  sentiment  of  tiie  .\rabs,  Bo- 
chart remarks,  tluit  there  is  no  animal 
which  can  overcome  the  ostrich  in  its 
course.  Ur.  Shaw  says,  "  Notwith- 
standing the  stupidity  of  this  animal, 
its  Creator  liath  amply  provided  for 
its  safety  by  endowing  it  with  extra- 
ordinary swiftness,  and  a  surprising 
apparatus  for  escaping  from  its  ene- 
my. '  Thev,  when  they  raise  them- 
selves up  for  flight,  laugh  at  the  horse 
and  his  rider.'  They  aflbrd  him  an 
opportunity  only  of  admiring  at  a 
distance  the  extraordinary  agility, 
and  the  stateliness  likewise  of  their 
motions,  the  richness  of  their  plinn- 
age,  and  the  great  propriety  there 
was  in  ascribing  to  them  an  expmuied, 
quirering\ifing.  Nothing,  certainly, 
can  be  more  entertaining  than  such  a 
sight ;  the  wings,  by  their  rapid  but 
unwearied  vibrations,  equally  serving 
tliem  for  sails  and  for  oars  ;  while 
their  feet,  no  less  assisting  in  con\ey- 
ing  them  out  of  sight,  are  *no  less 
insensible  of  fatigue."  Travels,  Svo., 
vol.  ii.  p.  343,  as  quoted  by  Noyes. 
The  same  representation  is  confirmed 
by  the  writer  of  a  voyage  to  Senegal, 
who   says,   "  She  sets  oft'  at  a  hard 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


255 


19  Hast  thou  ffiven  the  horse 


gallop  ;  but  after  being  excifed  a  lit- 
tle, she  exp;uid.s  lier  wings  as  if  to 
catcli  tlie  wind,  and  abandons  herself 
to  a  speed  so  great,  that  she  seeins 
not  to  touch  the  ground.  I  am  per- 
suaded  she   would    leave  flir   behind 

ne  swiftest   Englisii  courser."      Rub. 

'Jiiimct.     Burton  also  admits  that  the 

>stricii    runs   iiister   than    the    horse. 

These  unexceptionable  testiu)onies 
completely  vindicate  the  assertion  of 
the  iusj)ired  writer.  The  proofs  and 
illiisitratious  here  furnished  at  consid- 
erable leiigtii  are  designed  to  show 
that  the  stateuienis  here  made  in  the 
book  of  Job  are  such  as  are  confirmed 
by  all  tile  investigations  in  Natural 
History  since  the  time  the  book  was 
written.  If  tlie  statements  are  to  be 
regarded  as  an  indication  of  the  pro- 
gress made  in  tlie  science  of  Aatural 
History  at  the  time  wlien  Job  lived, 
they  prove  that  the  observations  in 
regard  to  this  animal  had  been  exten- 
sive and  were  surprisingly  accurate. 
They  siiow  that  the  tninds  of  sages  at 
tJiat  time  had  been  turned  with  mucli 
interest  to  this  branch  of  science,  and 
tiiat  they  were  al)le  to  descriiie  the 
htdjits  of  animals  with  an  accuracy 
which  would  do  the  highest  credit  to 
Pliny  or  to  Button.  If,  liowever,  the 
account  here  is  to  be  regarded  as  the 
mere  result  of  inspiration,  or  as  the 
language  of  God  speaking  and  de- 
scribing what  he  had  done,  then  the 
account  furnishes  us  with  an  interest- 
ing proof  of  tlie  inspiration  of  the 
book.  Its  minute  accuracy  is  con- 
firmed bv  all  the  subsequent  inquiries 
into  the  liabits  of  tlie  animal  referred 
to,  and  shows  that  the  statement  is 
based  on  simple  truth.  The  general 
remark  may  here  be  made,  that  all 
the  notices  in  tlie  Bible  of  the  sub- 
jects of  science — wJiich  are  indeed 
mostly  casual  and  incidental — are 
such  as  are  confirmed  by  the  investi- 
gations which  science  in  the  various 
departments  makes.  Of  \vhat  other 
ancient  book  but  tht  Bible  can  this 
remark  be  made  .' 


Strength  1  hast  thou  clothed  his 
neck  with  thunder  l 

19.  Hast  thou  given  the  horse, 
strength  ?  The  incidental  allusion 
to  the  horse  in  comparison  with  the 
ostrich  ill  the  previous  verse,  seems 
to  have  suggested  this  magnificent, 
description  of  this  noble  animal — a 
description  which  has  never  been 
surpassed  or  equalled.  The  horse  is 
an  animal  so  well  known,  that  a  par- 
ticular description  of  it  is  here  unne- 
cessary. The  only  thing  which  is 
required  is  an  explanation  of  the 
phrases  here  used,  and  a  confirmation 
of  the  particular  qualities  here  attrib- 
uted to  the  war-horse,  for  the  descrip- 
tion here  is  evidently  that  of  the  horse 
as  he  appears  in  war,  or  as  about  to 
plunge  into  the  midst  of  a  battle. 
The  description  which  conies  the 
nearest  to  this  before  us,  is  that  fur- 
nished in  the  well-known  and  exqui- 
site passage  of  Virgil,  Georg.  iii.  84, 
se(j.  : 

—  turn,  si  quasonum  piocul  ariiiii  dedere, 
Stare  loconescit,  niicat  auriljus.  cttremit  artus, 
Collectuinq  ;  premeiis  volvit  sul>  narilius  ignem. 
Donsa  juba,  et  (ioxtro  juctata  recuml)at  in  anno. 
At  iiu|)lc.\  agitur,  per  lunilios  spina  ;  cavatque 
Tellureni,  ct  soliilo  graviter  sonat  uiigula  cornu. 

"But  at  the  clash  of  arms,  liis  earafai 
Drinlts  the  deep  sound,  and  vihratus  to  the 

war ; 
Flames  from  eacli  nostril  roll  in  gathered 

stream. 
Hia   quivering   limbti   with   restless   motion 

gleam  ; 
O'er  his  right  shoulder,  floating  full  and  fair, 
Sweeps    his    thick    mane,   and   spreads    his 

pomp  of  liair  ; 
Swift    works   his  doulde    spine  ;    and    earth 

arounil 
Rings    to    liis    solid    hoof    that    wears    the 

ground."  Sulhcby. 

RTany  of  the  circumstances  liere  enu- 
merated have  a  remarkable  resem- 
blance to  the  description  in  Job. 
Other  descriptions  and  corresponden- 
cies between  this  passage  and  the 
classic  writers  may  be  seen  at  length 
in  Bochart,  Ilirroz.  P.  i.  L.  i.  c.  viii. ; 
in  Scheutzer,  Pliysi.ca  Sdcrii,  iji  loc.  ; 
and  in  the  Srrijitorum  variorum  Syl- 
log".  ^J^ennisrhtr.  SfJiriflen,  Goetting. 
17d2),  of  Godofr.  Lei's.  A  full  ac- 
count of  the  habits  of  the  horse  is  also 


256 


JOB. 


furnished  by  Michaelis  in  IijS  "Dis- 
sertation on  tiie  most  ancient  history 
of  horses  and  iiorse-breeding,"  «&.c., 
Appendix  to  Art.  cixvi.  of  the  Com- 
mentary of  the  Laws  of  Moses,  vol. 
ii.  According  to  the  results  of  tlie 
investigations  of  Micliaelis,  Arabia 
was  not,  as  is  commonly  supposed, 
the  native  country  of  the  horse,  but 
its  origin  is  rather  to  be  sought  in 
Egypt ;  and  in  the  account  which  is 
given  of  the  riches  of  Job,  ch.  i.  3, 
xlii.  12,  it  is  remarkable  that  the 
horse  is  not  mentioned.  It  is,  tiiere- 
fore,  in  a  higli  degree  prol)able  that 
the  horse  was  not  known  in  his  time 
as  a  domestic  animal,  and  that,  in  liis 
country  at  least,  it  was  emjiloyed 
chiefly  in  war.  H  Hayt  thou  clothed 
his  neck  with  thundrr  ?  There  seems 
to  be  something  incongruous  in  the 
idea  of  making  thunder  the  clothivif 
of  the  neck  of  a  horse,  and  there  has 
been  considerable  diversity  in  the 
exposition  of  the  passage.  There  is 
evidently  some  allusion  to  the  matic, 
but  exactly  in  what  respect  is  not 
agreed.  The  LXX  render  it,  "  Hast 
thou  clothed  iiis  neck  with  terror  " — 
qtofiuvi  Jerome  refers  it  to  the  nrigh- 
ina-  of  the  horse — uut  circumduliis 
collo  ejus  hinnituin.  Prof  Lee  ren- 
ders it,  "Clothest  thou  his  neck  with 
scorn?"  Herder,  "  And  clothed  its 
neck  with  its  Hovving  mane."  Um- 
breit,  "  Hast  thou  clothed  his  neck 
with  loftiness  V  Noyes,  "  Hast  thou 
clothed  his  neck  with  its  quivering 
mane  V  Schultens,  convestis  ccvri- 
cem  ejus  trr.morc  tilacri — "  with  rapid 
quivering;"  and  Dr.  Good,  "with 
the  thunder-flash."  \n  this  variety 
of  interpretation,  it  is  easy  to  per- 
ceive that  the  common  impression 
has  been  that  the  mane  is  in  some 
way  referred  to,  and  that  the  allusion 
is  not  so  much  to  a  sound  as  of  thun- 
der, as  to  some  motion  of  the  mane 
that  attracted  attention.  The  mane 
adds  much  to  the  majesty  and  beauty 
of  the  horse,  and  perhaps  it  was  in 
some  way  decorated  by  the  ancients 
so  as  to  set  it  off  with  increased 
beautv       The    word    which    is    here 


used,  and  which  is  rendered  thunder 
(H-O^n),  is  from  the  verb  Wn,  rddm, 
meaning  to  rage,  to  roar,  as  applied 
to  the  sea,  Ps.  xcvi.  11,  xcviii.  8,  and 
tiien    to    thunder.      It    Jias   also    the 
idea  of  trembling  or  quaking,  Ezek. 
xxvii.   35,  and   also  of  provoking  to 
anger,    1    Sam.  i.  6.     Tlie  verb    and 
the  noun   are   more  commonly   refer- 
red  to  thunder  than    any  thing  else, 
Job    xxxvii.  4,  5,  xl.  !».  2  Sam.  xxii. 
14.    1  Sam.  ii.  10,   vii.   10.   Ps.  xviii 
13,   xxix.  3,   Ixxvii.  18,   civ.   7.    Isa 
xxix.  6.     A   full   investigation  of  the 
meaning  of  the  j)assage  may  be  seen 
in    Bochart,    Hieroz.  P.  i.  Lib.  ii.  c. 
viii.      It  seems  to  me  to  be  very  dilii- 
cult  to   determine   its   meaning,  and 
none  of  the   explanations  given  are 
quite    satisfactory.     The    icord   used 
requires  us  to  understand  the  appear 
an(-e  of  the  neck  of  the  jiorse  as  hav- 
ing some  resemblance  to  thunder,  but 
in  what  respect  is   not  quite  so  appa- 
rent.    It  may  be  this:   the  description 
of  the  war-horse  is  that  of  an  animal 
fitted  to  inspire  terror.     He  is  capari- 
soned   for    liattle  ;    in\patient    of  re- 
straint ;    rushing    forward     into    the 
tliickest  of  the   fight;   tearing  up  the 
earth  ;  breatiiing   file   from    iiis   nos- 
trils ;   and  it  was  not  iinnatural,  there 
fore,  to  compare   him   with   the  tem- 
pest.     The   majestic  neck,  with    the 
erect   and  shaking  mane,  is   likened 
to    the  thunder  of  the  tempest    that 
shakes  every  thing,  and  that  gives  so 
much   majesty  and   fearfulness   to  the 
gathering  storm,  and   the  description 
seems  to  be  this — that  his  very  neck: 
is   fitted    to  produce  awe  and  alarm, 
like  the  thunder  of  the  tempest.    We 
are    required,   therefore,  it   seems   to 
me,  to  adhere  to  the  proper  meaning 
of  tlie  word,  and  thougii  in  the  cool- 
ness of  criticism  there  may  ajipear  to 
be    something     incongruous     in     the 
application  of  thundrr  to  the  neck  of 
the  liorse,  yet  it  might  not  appear  to 
be  so  if  we  saw  such  a  war-horse — 
and  if  the  thought,  not  an  unnatural 
one,  should  strike  us,  that  in  maje-^ty 
and  fury  he  bore  a  strong  resemblance 
to  an  approaching  tempest 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


257 


20  Canst  thou  make  him  afraid 
as  a  grasshopper  ?  the  glory  of 
his  nostrils  '  is  terrible. 

1  terrors.  2  or,  Ilis  feet  diff. 

20.  Canst  thou  make  him  afraid  as 
a  grasshopper  ?  Or,  rather,  us  a  lo- 
ciiM — ri31X3.  This  is  the  word 
vvhicii  is  commonly  applied  to  the 
locust  considered  as  gretrarious,  or  as 
aj)poaring  in '  great  numbers  (from 
'^31'i  '"  '"^  multiplied).  On  the  vari- 
ety of  the  species  of  locusts,  see  Bo- 
cjiart,  Hieroz.  P.  ii.  Lib.  iv.  c.  1,  seq. 
The  Hebrew  word  here  rendered 
'make  afraid'  ('■I^?'^)  means  properly 
to  he  moved,  to  be  shaken,  and  hence 
to  tremble,  to  be  afraid.  In  Iliphil, 
the  form  used  here,  it  means  to  cause 
to  tremble,  to  shake  ;  and  then  to 
cause  to  leap,  as  a  horse  ;  and  the 
idea  here  is,  Canst  thou  cause  tlie 
horse,  an  animal  so  large  and  power- 
ful, to  leap  with  the  agility  of  a  lo- 
cust ?  See  Gesenius,  Ler.  Tlie  allu- 
sion here  is  to  the  leaping  or  moving 
of  the  locusts  as  they  advance  in  the 
appearance  of  squadrons  or  troops  ; 
but  the  comparison  is  not  so  much 
that  of  a  single  Iiorse  to  a  single  lo- 
cust, as  of  cavalry  or  a  company  of 
war-horses  to  an  army  of  locusts  ;  and 
the  point  of  comparison  turns  on  tlie 
elasticity  or  agility  of  the  motion  of 
cavalry  advancing  to  the  field  of  bat- 
tle. The  sense  is,  that  God  could 
cause  that  rapid  and  beautiful  move- 
ment in  animals  so  large  and  power- 
ful as  the  horse,  but  that  it  was 
wholly  beyond  the  power  of  man  to 
eti'ect  it.  It  is  quite  common  in  the 
East  to  compare  a  horse  with  a  locust, 
and  travellers  have  spoken  of  the 
remarkable  resemblance  between  the 
heads  of  the  two.  This  comparison 
occurs  also  in  the  Bible.  See  Joel  ii. 
4,  "  The  appearance  of  them  is  as  tJie 
appearance  of  horses  ;  and  as  liorse 
men  so  shall  they  run."  Rev.  ix.  7. 
Tlie  Italians  from  this  resemblance 
call  the  locust  cavaletta,  or  little  horse. 
Sir  W.  Ousely  says,  "  Zakaria  Cavini 


21  He  ^'paweth  in  the  valley, 
and  rejoiceth  in  his  strengtli  :  he 
goeth  "  on  to  meet  the  '  armed 
men. 

a  Je.  8.  6.  3  armour. 

divides  the  locusts  into  two  classes, 
like  horsemen  and  footmen,  '  mount 
ed  and  pedestrian.'  "  Niebuhr  says 
that  he  iieard  from  a  Bedouin  near 
Bassorali,  a  particular  comparison  of 
tlie  locust  with  other  animals  ;  but  he 
thought  it  a  mere  fancy  of  the  Arabs, 
till  he  heard  it  repeated  at  Bagdad. 
He  compared  the  head  of  a  locust  to 
tliat  of  a  horse,  the  breast  to  that  of  a 
lion,  the  feet  to  those  of  a  camel,  the 
belly  with  that  of  a  serpent,  the  tail 
with  that  of  a  scorpion,  and  the  feel- 
ers with  the  hair  of  a  virgin.  See 
Pict.  Bib.  on  Joel.  ii.  4.  11  The  glory 
of  his  nostrils  is  terrible.  Marg.  as 
in  Heb.,  terrors.  That  is,  il  is  fitted 
to  inspire  terror  or  awe.  The  refer- 
ence is  to  the  wide-e.xtended  and 
fiery-looking  nostrils  of  the  horse 
when  animated,  and  impatient  for 
action.  So  Lucretius,  L.  v.  : 
Et  fremitum  patulis  sub  naribus  edit  ad  anna. 
So  Virgil,  Georg.  iii.  87  : 

Collectumque  premens  voluit  Bub  naribus  ig 
nem. 

Claudian,  in  iv.  Consulatu  Honor  ii : 
Ignescunt  patula;  nares. 

2L  He  paioeth  in  the  valley.  RIarg. 
'or,  His  feet  dig.'  The  marginal 
reading  is  more  in  accordance  with 
the  Hebrew.  The  reference  is  to 
the  well-known  fact  of  the  jortj^m^  of 
the  horse  with  his  feet,  as  if  he  would 
dig  up  the  ground.  The  same  idea 
occurs  in  Virgil,  as  quoted  above  : 

cavatque 
Tellurom,  et  solido  graviter  solat  ungula  cor- 
nu. 

Also  in  Apollonius,  L.  iii.  Jirgonauti- 

con  : 

'iZs  (5'  linfi'ios  iTTTof,  ic^i^Oficvog  ■rro\ci^o(o^ 
ZjKapOno)  tin  ■^ptntO (liv  Kpotsi  ttsSov, 

"  As  a  war-horse,  impatient   for   the  battle, 
Neighing  beats  the  ground  with  his  hoofs." 


258 


JOB. 


22  He  mocketh  at  fear,  and 
is  not  afFriglited  ;  neither  turn- 

'eth  he  back  from  the  sword. 

23  The  quiver  rattleth  against 
him,  the  glittering  spear  and  the 
shield. 

24  He  swalloweth  the  ground 

H  He  goeth  on  to  meet  the  armed  men. 
JMarg.  armour.  The  iiuirgin  is  in  ac- 
cordiince  with  the  Hehrew,  but  still 
the  idea  is  substantially  the  same. 
The  horse  rushes  on  furiously  against 
the  weapons  of  war. 

22.  He  mochctk  at  fear.  He  laughs 
at  that  which  is  fitted  to  intiniidate  ; 
that  is,  lie  is   not  afraid.     IT  JS'either 

4urneth  he  back  from  the  sword.  He 
ushes  on  it  without  fear.  Of  the 
fact  here  stated,  and  the  accuracy  of 
the  description,  there  can  be  no  doubt. 

23.  The  quiver  rattleth  against  him. 
The  quiver  was  a  case  made  for  con- 
taining arrows.  It  was  usually  slung 
over  the  shoulder,  so  that  it  could  be 
easily  reached  to  draw  out  an  arrow. 
Warriors  on  horseback,  as  well  as  on 
foot,  fought  with  bows  and  arrows,  as 
well  as  witii  swords  and  spears  ;  and 
the  idea  here  is,  that  the  war-horse 
bore  upon  himself  these  instruments 
of  vv'ar.  The  rattling  of  the  quiver 
was  caused  by  the  fact  that  the  arrows 
were  tlirown  somewhat  loosely  into 
the  case  or  the  (juiver,  and  that  in  the 
rapid  motion  of  the  warrior  they  were 
shaken  against  each  other.  Thus 
Virgil,  ^n.  ix.  660  : 

—  pharetramqiie  fuga  sensere  sonantem. 

Silius,  L.  12  : 

Plena  tenet  et  resonante  pharetra. 

And  again  : 

Turba  ruunt  stridentque  sagittiferi  coryti. 

So  Homer  (Iliad,  a.),  when  speaking 
of  Apollo  : 

Tn^  d'>lioimv  £%M2/,  liiKprjpapla  re  tj>npirpr)v 
"EvXuy^iii'  J'  lip   di'oToi  iir   Wjnov  ■y^uiojiivnio. 

See  Scheutzer's  Phijs.  Sac.,  in  loc. 

24.  He  sioalloiceth  the  ground.  He 
seems  as  if  ho  would  absorb  the  earth. 
That  IS,  he    strikes   his    feet   into   it 


with  fierceness  and  rage ;  nei- 
ther believeth  he  that  it  is  the 
sound  of  the  trumpet. 

25  He  saith  among  the  trump- 
ets, Ha,  ha  ;  and  he  smelleth  the 
battle  afar  off,  the  thunder  of  the 
captains  and  the  shouting. 

with  such  fierceness,  and  raises  up 
the  dust  in  his  prancing,  as  if  he 
would  devour  it.  This  figure  is  un- 
usual with  us,  but  it  is  common  in 
the  Arabic.  iSee  Schultens,  in  loc, 
and  Bocliart,  Hieroz,  P.  i.  L.  ii.  c.  viii. 
pp.  143-145.     So  Statius  : 

Stare  loco  nescit,  pereunt  vestigia  mille 
Ante  fugaiii,  absentcmque  ferit  gravis  ungula 
campum. 

Til'  impatient  courser  pants  in  every  vein, 
And  pawing  seems  to  beat  llie  distant  i)lain  ; 
Hills,  vnlos,  and  Hoods,  appear  already  cross'd, 
And  ere  he  starts  a  thousand  step.i  are  lost. 
Pope. 

IT  JVcither  believeth  he  that  it  is  the 
sound  of  the  trumpet.  This  transla- 
tion by  no  means  conveys  tlie  mean 
ing  of  the  original.  The  true  sense 
is  probably  expressed  by  Umbreit 
"  He  standeth  not  still  when  the 
trumpet  soundeth  ;"  that  is,  he  be 
comes  impatient;  he  no  longer  con 
fides  in  the  voii^e  of  the  rider  and 
remains  submissive,  but  lie  becomes 
excited  by  tiie  martial  clangor,  and 
rushes  into  the  midst  of  the  battle. 
The  Hebrew  word  which  is  employ- 
ed ("r^^>.^)  means  properly  to  prop, 
stay,  support ;  then  to  believe,  to  be 
firm,  stable  ;  and  is  that  which  is 
commonly  used  to  denote  an  act  of 
faith,  or  as  meaning  believing.  But 
the  original  sense  of  the  word  is  here 
to  be  retained,  and  then  it  refers  to 
the  fact  that  the  impatient  horse  no 
longer  stands  still  when  the  trumpet 
begins  to  sound  for  battle. 

25.  He  saith  among  the  trumpets, 
Ha,  ha.  That  is,  '  Wlien  the  trump- 
et sounds,  his  voice  is  heard  as  if  he 
said,  Aha — or  said  tliat  he  heard  the 
sound  calling  him  to  the  battle.'  The 
reference  is  to  the  impatient  neighing 
of  the  war-horse  about  to  rusii  into 
the  conflict.     IT  .'Ind  he  smelleth  the 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

2G  Doth  the  hawk  fly  by  thy 


259 


battle  afar  of.  That  is,  lie  snuffs,  as  it 
were,  for  tiio  shnigliter.  The  refer- 
once  is  to  tlie  effect  of  an  approach- 
in-f  army  upon  a  spirited  war-iiorse, 
as  if  he  perceived  the  approach  hy  the 
sense  of  sniellini,',  and  longed  to  i)e 
m  the  midst  of  the  battle.  II  T/ir. 
thunder  of  the  captains.  Literally 
'  the  >var-cry  of  the  princes.'  The 
reference  is  to  the  loud  voices  of  the 
leaders  of  the  army  commanding  the 
hosts  under  them.  In  regard  to  the 
whole  of  this  magnificent  description 
of  the  war-horse,  the  reader  may 
consult  Bochart,  H'lcroz.  P.  i.  L.  ii.c. 
viii.,  where  the  phrases  used  are  con- 
sidered and  illustrated  at  length.  The 
leading  idea  here  is,  that  the  war- 
Iiorse  evinced  the  wisdom  and  the 
power  of  God.  His  nnijesty,  energy, 
strength,  impatience  for  the  battle, 
and  spirit,  were  proofs  of  the  great- 
ness of  him  who  had  made  him,  and 
might  he  appealed  to  as  illustrating 
his  perfections.  Much  as  men  ad- 
mire the  noble  horse,  and  much  as 
they  take  pains  to  train  him  for  the 
turf  or  for  battle,  yet  how  seldom  do 
ihev  refer  to  it  as  illustrating  the 
power  and  greatness  of  the  Creator  ; 
and,  it  may  be  added,  how  seldom  do 
tliev  use  the  horse  as  if  he  were  one 
of  the  grand  and  noble  works  of 
God  ! 

26.  Doth  the  hawk  flij  hij  thy  mls- 
ilom.  The  appeal  here  is  to  the 
hawk,  because  it  is  among  the  most 
rapid  of  the  birds  in  its  flight.  The 
particular  thing  specified  is  hs  flyings 
and  it  is  supposed  that  there  was 
something  peculiar  in  that  which 
distinguished  it  from  other  birds. 
^V'hether  it  was  in  regard  to  its  speed, 
to  its  manner  of  flying,  or  to  its  hab- 
its of  flying  at  periodical  seasons, 
may  indeed  be  made  a  matter  of  in- 
quirv,  but  it  is  clear  that  tlie  particu- 
lar thing  in  this  bird  which  was 
adapted  to  draw  the  attention,  and 
which  evinced  peculiarly  the  wisdom 
of  God,  was  connected  with  its  flight. 
The  word  here  rendered  haivk  (^5, 


wisdom,   and  stretch  her   wings 
toward  the  south  ? 

netz),  is  probably  generic,  and  in 
eludes  the  various  species  of  the  fal- 
con, or  hawk  tribe,  as  the  jer-falcon, 
the  goshawk,  the  sparrow-hawk,  the 
lanner,  the  sacre,  the  hobby,  the  kes- 
tril,  and  the  merlin.  Not  less  than 
one  hundred  and  lif^y  species  of  the 
hawk,  it  is  said,  have  been  described, 
but  of  these  many  are  little  known, 
and  many  of  them  difler  from  others 
only  by  very  slight  distinctions. 
They  are  birds  of  prey,  and,  as  many 
of  them  are  endowed  with  remark- 
able docility,  they  are  trained  for  the 
diversions  of  falconry — which  has 
been  quite  a  science  among  sports- 
men. The  falcon,  or  hawk,  is  often 
distinguished  for  fleetness.  One  be- 
longing to  a  Duke  of  Cleves,  flew  out 
of  W'estphalia  into  Prussia  in  one 
day  ;  and  in  the  county  of  Norfolk 
(England),  one  was  known  to  make 
a  flight  of  nearly  thirty  miles  in  an 
hour.  A  falcon  which  belonged  to 
Henrv  IV.  of  France,  having  escaped 
from  Fontainebleau,  was  found  twen- 
ty-four hours  after  in  3Ialta,  tlie  space 
traversed  being  not  less  than  one 
thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  being  a  velocity  of  about  fifty- 
seven  miles  an  hour,  on  the  supposi- 
tion that  the  bird  was  on  the  wing  the 
whole  time.  It  is  this  remarkable 
velocity  which  is  here  appealed  to  as 
a  proof  of  the  divine  wisdom.  God 
asks  Job  wliether  he  could  have  form- 
ed these  birds  for  their  rapid  fl.ight. 
The  wisdom  and  sliill  which  has 
done  this  is  evidently  flir  above  any 
that  is  possessed  by  man.  IT  And 
stretch  her  icings  toward  the  south 
Referring  to  the  fact  that  the  bird  is 
migratoiv  at  certain  seasons  of  the 
year.  It  is  not  here  merely  the  rapid- 
ity of  its  flight  which  is  referred  to, 
but  that  remarkable  instinct  which 
leads  the  feathered  tribes  to  seek 
more  congenial  climates  at  the  ap- 
proach of  winter.  In  no  way  is  this 
to  be  ;iccounted  for,  except  by  the 
fact  that  God  has  so  appointed  it. 
This  great  bw  of  the  winged  tribes 


260 


JOB. 


27  Doth  the  eagle  mount  up 
'  at  thy  command,  and  make  her 
nest  on  "  high  1 

28  She  dwelleth   and  abideth 


1  by  thy  mouth. 


a  Je.  49.  IC.  Ob.  4. 


is  one  of  tlie  clearest  proofs  of  divine 
wisdom  iuid  agency. 

27.  Dotk  the  eagla  mount  up  at  thy 
coimnand.  Murg.  as  in  Ileb.,  by  thy 
mouth.  Tlie  meaning  is,  tliat  Job 
liad  not  power  to  direct  or  order  tlie 
eagle  in  his  lofty  flight.  The  eagle 
lias  always  been  celebrated  for  the 
height  to  which  it  ascends.  When 
Ramond  had  reached  the  suminii  of 
Mount  Perdu,  the  highest  of  the  Pyre- 
nees, he  jierceived  no  living  creature 
but  an  eagle  which  passed  above  him. 
Hying  with  inconceivable  rapidity  in 
direct  opposition  to  a  furious  wind. 
Edi.u..  EiLcy.  "  Of  all  animals,  the 
eagle  Hies  highest;  and  from  thence 
the  ancients  iiave  given  him  the  epi- 
tliet  of  the  bird  of  heaven.''  Goldsmith. 
AVliat  is  particularly  wortii  remark- 
ing here  is,  the  accuracy  with  which 
the  descriptions  in  Job  are  made.  If 
these  are  any  indications  of  the  pro- 
gress of  the  knowledge  of  Natural 
History,  that  science  could  not  have 
been  then  in  it.s  infancy.  Just  the 
things  are  adverted  to  here  which  all 
the  investigations  of  subsequent  ages 
have  shown  to  characteri/>e  the  class- 
es of  the  feathered  creation  referred  to. 
If  Jlnd  make  her  nest  on,  hi<rh.  "  The 
nest  of  the  eagle  is  usually  built  in 
the  most  inaccessible  clili'of  the  rock, 
and  often  shielded  from  the  weather 
by  some  jutting  crag  that  hangs  over 
;t."  Goldsmith.  It  is  usually  placed 
norizontally,  in  the  liollow  or  fissure 
of  some  high  and  abrupt  rock,  and  is 
constructed  of  sticks  of  five  or  si.x 
feet  in  length,  interlaced  with  pliant 
twigs,  and  covered  with  layers  of 
rushes,  heath,  or  moss.  Unless  de- 
stroyed by  some  accident,  it  is  sup- 
jiosed  to  suflice,  with  occasional  re- 
pairs, for  the  same  couple  during 
their  lives."     Ed  in.  Ency. 

28.   She,  diocUcth  and  abideth  on  the 
rock.     "  He  rarely  quits  the  mount- 


on  the  rock,  upon  the  crag  of  the 
rock,  and  the  strong  place. 

29  From  thence  she  seeketh 
the  prey,  and  her  eyes  behold 
afar  off. 


ains  to  descend  into  the  plains.  Eacli 
pair  live  in  an  insulated  slate,  estab- 
lishing their  quarters  on  some  high 
and  precipitous  clifl',  at  a  respectful 
distance  (rom  others  of  the  .same  spe- 
cies." Ediu.  Ency.  They  seem  to 
occupy  the  same  clift',  or  place  of 
abode,  during  their  lives  ;  and  hence 
it  is  that  they  are  represented  as  hav- 
ing a  permanent  abode  on  the  lofly 
rock.  In  Dainir  it  is  said  that  the 
blind  poet  Besar,  son  of  Jazidi,  being 
asked,  if  God  would  give  him  the 
choice  to  be  an  animal,  what  he 
would  be,  said  that  he  would  wish  to 
be  nothing  else  than  an  ulohab,  a  spe 
cies  of  the  eagle,  for  they  dwelt  in 
places  to  which  no  wild  animal  could 
have  access.  Scheutzer,  Phys.  Hac. 
in  lac.  The  word  rendered  '  abideth  ' 
means  commonly  to  pass  the  ni^ht, 
and  here  refers  to  the  fact  that  the 
high  rock  was  its  constant  abode  or 
dwelling.  By  night  as  well  as  by 
day,  the  eagle  had  his  home  there. 
II  Upon  the  crag  of  the  rock.  Heb., 
'  Upon  the  tooth  of  the  rock  ' — from 
the  resemblance  of  the  crag  of  a  rock 
to  a  tooth. 

2'^.  From  thence  she  seeketh  the 
prey,  and  her  eyes  behold  afar  off. 
"  When  far  aloft,  and  no  longer  dis- 
cernible by  the  human  eye,  such  is 
the  wonderful  acuteness  of  its  sight, 
that  from  the  same  elevation  it  will 
mark  a  hare,  or  even  a  smaller  ani- 
mal, and  dart  down  on  it  with  unerring 
aim."  Edin.  Ency.  "  Of  ail  animals, 
the  eagle  has  the  quickest  eye  ;  but 
his  sense  of  smelling  is  far  inferior  to 
that  of  the  vulture.  He  never  pur- 
sues, therefore,  but  in  siglit."  Gold- 
smith. This  power  of  sight  was  early 
known,  and  is  celebrated  by  the  an- 
cients.    Thus  Homer,  II.  o'.  ver.  674 

— oiffr'  dttrds  iV  pa  tc  (paa'tv 
'O^VTarov  dipKtodai  vnovpaviioi'  -^ertriiiMV. 


CHAPTER  XXXTX 

30  Her  young  ones  also  suck 

a  Mat.  24,  28.  Lu.  17.  37. 


261 


"As  the  eiiglo,  of  whom  it  is  saiil  tliat  it  cn- 

i"oy9  the  keenest  vi.<!ion  of  all  the  fowls  under 
leaven." 

So  Aelian,  H.  L.  i.  32.  Also  Horace, 
Serm.  L.  i.  Sat.  3  : 

—  tarn  ccrnit  acutrini 
Q.uam  uut  aquila,  uut  serpens  Epiilaurus. 

Tlie  Arabic  writers  say  that  the  eagle 
can  sue  "four  hundred  parasangs." 
Damir,  as  (luoted  hy  Scheutzer.  It 
is  now  ascertained  that  hirds  of  Jirey 
seaicli  out  or  discern  their  food  rather 
by  tlie  sigiit  than  the  smell.  No 
sooner  does  a  camel  tall  and  die  on 
the  plains  of  Arabia,  than  there  may 
be  seen  in  the  far-distant  sky  ajipa- 
rently  a  black  speck,  which  is  soon 
discovered  to  be  a  vulture  hastening 
to  its  prey.  From  that  vast  distance 
the  bird,  invisible  to  human  eye,  has 
seen  the  prey  stretched  upon  the 
sand,  and  imniedialely  commences 
toward  it  its  rapid  Hight. 

30.  llei-  young  ones  also  suck  up 
blood.  The  word  here  used  Cl'^?"^) 
occurs  nowhere  else  in  the  Scriptures. 
It  is  supposed  to  mean,  to  sup  up 
greedily  ;  referring  to  the  fact  that 
the  young  ones  of  the  eagle  devour 
blood  voraciously.  They  are  loo 
feeble  to  devour  the  flesh,  and  hence 
they  are  fed  on  the  blood  of  the  vic- 
tim. The  strength  of  the  eagle  con- 
sists in  the  beak,  talons,  and  wings  ; 
and  such  is  their  power,  that  they  are 
able  to  convey  animals  of  considera- 
ble size,  alive,  to  their  places  of 
abode.  They  often  bear  away,  in 
this  manner,  lambs,  kids,  and  the 
voung  of  the  gazelle.  Three  instan- 
ces, at  least,  ;ire  known,  where  they 
have  carried  ofl'  children.  In  the 
year  1737,  in  JVorway,  a  boy  upwards 
of  two  years  of  age  was  carried  off  by 
an  eagle  in  the  sight  of  his  parents. 
Anderson,  in  his  history  of  Iceland, 
asserts  t.'iat  in  that  island  children  of 
four  and  five  years  of  age  have  expe- 
rienced the  same  fate  ;  and  Ray 
mentions  that  in  one  of  the  Orkneys 
an  infant  oi'  a  \  ear  old  was  seized  in 


up  blood  :  and  where 
are,  there  is  she. 


the 


the  talons  of  an  eagle,  and  conveyed 
about  four  miles  to  its  eyry.  Ellin. 
Encij.  The  principal  food  of  the 
Ifounir  eagle  is  blood.  The  jrroof  ot 
this  fact  may  be  seen  in  Scheutzer's 
Phijs.  Hue,  in  loc.  IT  Jlnil  wittre  the. 
sluin  are,  there  is  she.  Ileb.,  the 
slain  ;  rei'erring  perhaps  primarily  to 
a  field  of  battle — where  horses,  ca- 
mels, and  men,  lie  in  confusion.  It 
is  not  improbable  that  the  Suviour 
had  this  passage  in  view  when  lie 
said,  speaking  of  the  approaching  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,  "For  where- 
soever the  carcase  is,  there  will  the 
eagles  be  gathered  together."  Matth. 
xxiv.  28.  Of  the/acf  that  they  thus 
assemble,  there  can  be  no  doubt. 
The  argument  in  proof  of  the  wisdom 
and  majesty  of  the  Alniiglity  in  these 
references  to  the  animal  creation,  i.s 
derived  from  their  strength,  their  in- 
stincts, and  their  peculiar  habits. 
We  may  make  two  remarks,  in  view 
of  the  argiuTient  as  here  stated.  (1.) 
One  relates  to  the  remarkable  accu- 
rucij  with  whicli  the}'  are  referred  to. 
The  statements  are  not  vague  and 
general,  but  are  minute  and  charac- 
teristic, about  the  habits  and  the  in- 
stincts of  the  animals  referred  to. 
The  very  things  are  selected  which 
are  now  known  to  distinguish  those 
animals,  and  which  are  not  found  to 
exist  in  the  same  degree,  if  at  all,  in 
others.  Subsequent  investigations 
have  served  to  confirm  the  accuracy 
of  these  descriptions,  and  tliey  may 
be  taken  now  as  a  correct  account 
even  to  the  letter  of  the  natural  history 
of  the  dili'erent  animals  referred  to. 
If,  therefore,  :is  has  alread}'  been  sta- 
ted, this  is  to  be  regarded  as  an  indi- 
cation of  the  state  of  natural  science 
in  the  time  of  Job,  it  'shows  quite  an 
advanced  state  ;  if  it  is  not  an  indica- 
tion of  the  existing  state  of  know- 
ledge in  his  time,  if  there  was  no 
such  acquaintance  with  the  auin  ai 
creation  as  the  result  of  observatic  n, 
then  it  shows  that  these  were  truly 
the  words  of  God,  and  are  to  be  re 


262 


JOB. 


garded  as  direct  inspiration.  At  all 
events,  the  statement  was  evidently 
made  under  the  influence  of  inspira- 
tion, and  is  worthy  of  tiie  origin 
wiiicli  it  claims.  (2.)  The  second 
remark  is,  that  the  progress  of  discov- 
ery in  the  science  of  natural  history 
has  only  served  to  confirm  and  ex- 
pand the  argument  here  adverted  to. 
Every  new  fact  in  regard  to  the  habits 
and  instincts  of  animals  is  a  new 
proof  of  the  wisdom  and  greatness  of 


God  ;  and  we  n)ay  appeal  now,  with 
all  the  knowledge  which  we  have  ^n 
these  subjects,  with  unanswerable 
force  to  the  habits  and  instincts  of  the 
wild  goats  of  the  rock,  the  wild  as.s, 
the  rhinoceros,  the  ostricii,  the  liorse, 
the  hawk,  and  tiie  eagle,  as  each  one 
furnishing  some  striking  and  peculiar 
proof  of  the  wisdom,  goodness,  super- 
intending providence  and  power  of 
the  Great  Creator. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

ANALYSIS  OF  CHAPTERS  XL.  AND  XLI. 


These  chapters  consist  of  the  following  parts  : 

i.  God  rehukes  Job  for  the  spirit  which  he  had  inanifesteJj  and  especially  for  his  presumption 
in  contending  with  him,  and  for  the  impropriety  of  the  language  in  which  he  had  indulged,  and 
which  was  the  same  as  '  reproving'  God.  vs.  1,2. 

II.  Job  confesses  hi^  guilt.  lie  had  on  a  former  occasion  e.xpressed  his  desire  to  carry  his 
cause  immediately  before  God  (ch.  xiii.  3,  20,  2!),  and  to  argue  it  there.  He  was  sure  that  he 
could  be  able  to  vindicate  himself,  and  sliow  that  he  did  not  deserve  the  peculiar  calamities 
which  had  come  upon  him,  and  which  were  appealed  to  by  his  friends  as  full  proof  that  he  was 
a  wicked  man.  iS^ow,  however,  overpowered  by  the  maje.«ty  of  God,  and  by  the  argument 
which  he  had  used,  he  is  silent  He  does  not  adventure  togoinio  the  argument.  Heconfi'sses 
1  hat  he  is  vile,  and  says  that  he  wouM  lay  his  ha  id  L"">n  hi.s  mouth  He  Iiad  spoken  repeatedly, 
but  he  could  proceed  no  farther,  vs.  3-5. 

III.  God  then  pursues  and  completes  the  argument  which  he  had  commenced,  in  proof  of  his 
own  majesty  and  glory.  The  argument  is  c.intinuod  throa^h  this  an. I  the  fillo-.ving  chapter, 
and  comprises  the  following  sufijects,  viz. : 

(f.)  An  appeal  to  the  power  and  majesty  of  God,  vs.  7-1-4.  That  po«?er  was  displayed  in  his 
arm  in  executing  judgmens  ;  in  hi-!  thunder;  in  c.-ming  down  the  proud;  and  in  trampling  the 
wicked  in  the  dust.  God  says  iliat  if  Job  could  put  forth  power  hke  tiiis  then  he  would  confess 
that  his  own  hand  could  save  him. 

(9.)  He  appeals  to  the  behemoth,  and  this  chapter  concludes  with  adt^tailed  dcpcriplion  ofiliis 
animal  of  immense  strength,  which  might  hi  regarded  as  in  some  sort  an  illustration  of  the 
mighty  power  of  the  Most  High,  vs.  15-'2-l. 

(3.)  The  whole  argument  is  closed  (ch.  xli.)  by  an  appeal  to  the  leviathan,  as  the  chief  among 
thy  works  of  God,  and  as  showing  his  dominion  over  the  aea.  This  immense  sea-monster  is 
described  at  lengih,  and  in  tlie  most  sublime  manner;  and  the  argument  is,  that  a  Being  >vho 
could  form  such  an  animal,  and  control  him,  must  be  a  IJeing  of  infinite  majesty  and  glory, 
b-fore  whom  man  should  bow  down  with  profoun  I  rcver.nnco  and  t-ilence.  This  snblimo  a.'gl- 
me-it  is  not  so  conducted  as  to  remove  or  expliin  the  difficulties  which  pressed  upon  the  minds 
of  Job  and  his  friends  No  statements  are  made  rospec'ing  the  leason  of  afHiclions  ;  the  q  -es- 
tion  whether  trials  are  evidence  of  the  moral  character  of  the  suifeier  is  not  decided,  and  no 
reference  is  made  to  the  future  state,  and  lo  the  fact  that  all  these  in^-qualities  would  be 
adjusted  there.  The  object  of  th->  whole  argument  is  to  produce  an  overwhelming  sense  of  the 
majs-sty  and  glory  of  God  ;  to  show  the  impropriety  of  complaining  nid  inurmuring  against  the 
government  of  one  so  exalted  and  so  powerful  ;  and  to  inculcuit-f  the  diUy  of  calm  acquiescence 
id  the  expressions  of  liis  will.  The  object  was  not  to  disclose  all  the  light  in  regard  to  tlie  ditn- 
cult  questions  about  the  govrnment  of  God  which  could  be  communicated,  nor  to  anticipate  the 
glorious  truths  which  W' re  reseived  foi  the  Christim  revelation,  but  to  produce  a  state  ot 
submission  lo  the  will  of  God.  It  was  to  make  men  feel  that  God  had  a  right  to  reign,  and  that 
they  were  to  be  submissive  not  because  ihey  saw  the  rciisoiis  of  his  doings,  but  because  such 
was  HIS  WILL.  This  is  still  a  propoi  giound  of  arg'jmen:  with  the  afflicted,  and  is  often  in  fact 
ibout  all  that  can  be  referred  to. 


CHAPTER  XL. 


263 


TVJOREOVER,  the  Lord  an- 

-'-*-*-  swered  Job,  and  said, 

2  Shall  he  that  contendeth  " 
with  the  Almighty  instruct  him  1 

a  c.  33.  13.  Is.  27.  4.  h  Ezr.  9.  G.  c.  42.  6. 

Ps.  51.  4.  Is.  6.  5,  64.  6.  Da.  9.  5,  7.  Lu.  18. 13. 

1.  Moreover^  the  Lord  answered 
Job.  Tlie  word  answered  i.s  used 
iiere  as  it  is  often  in  the  Scriptures, 
not  to  denote  a  reply  to  vviiat  had 
been  immediately  said,  but  to  take  up 
or  continue  an  argument.  What  God 
said  liere  was  designed  as  a  reply  to 
the  spirit  wliich  Job  had  so  frequently 
manifested. 

2.  Shall  he  that  contendeth  icith  the 
Almightij  instruct  him  .''  Gesenius 
renders  this,  "  Contending  shall  the 
reprover  of  God  contend  with  tlie 
Almighty  .'"  Prof.  Lee,  "Shall  one 
by  contending  with  the  Almighty 
correct  this  .'"  On  tlie  grammatical 
construction,  see  Gesenius  on  the 
word  "'15'?,  and  Rosenmilller  and 
Lee,  IK  loc.  The  meaning  seems  to 
be  this  :  '  Will  he  who  would  enter 
into  a  controversy  with  the  Almighty 
now  presume  to  instruct  him  .'  He 
that  was  so  desirous  of  arguing  his 
cause  with  God,  will  he  now  an- 
swer .'"'  All  the  language  here  used 
is  taken  from  courts,  and  is  such 
as  I  have  had  frequent  occasion  to 
explain  in  these  Notes.  The  refer- 
ence is  to  the  fact  that  Job  liad  so 
often  expressed  a  wish  to  carry  his 
cause,  as  before  a  judicial  tribunal, 
directly  up  to  God.  He  had  felt  that 
if  he  could  get  it  there,  he  could  so 
argue  it  as  to  secure  a  verdict  in  his 
favor  ;,  that  he  could  set  arguments 
before  the  Almighty  which  would 
secure  a  reversal  of  the  fearful  sen- 
tence which  had  gQne  out  against 
him,  and  which  had  caused  him  to  be 
lield  as  a  guilty  man.  God  now  asks 
whether  he  who  had  been  so  anxious 
to  have  a  legal  argument,  and  to  car- 
ry his  cause  himself  before  God — a 
man  disposed  to  litigation  before  God 
("13) — was  still  of  the  same  mind,  and 
'elt  himself  qualified  to  take  upon 
himself  the  office  of  an  instructor,  a 


he  that  reproveth  God,  let  lum 
answer  it. 

3  Then    Job     answered    the 
Lord,  and  said, 

4  Behold,   I   am  vile  :  ''  what 

corrector,  an  admonislicr  ("I'S"?)  of 
God  .'  He  had  the  opportunity  now, 
and  God  here  paused,  after  the  snU 
lime  exiiibition  of  his  majesty  and 
power  in  the  previous  chapters,  to 
give  him  an  opportunity,  as  he  wished, 
to  carry  his  cause  directly  before  him. 
The  result  is  stated  in  vs.  3,  4.  Job 
had  now  nothing  to  say.  IT  Ha  that 
reproveth  God.  Or  rather,  '  He  that 
is  disposed  to  carry  his  cause  Ijefore 
God,'  as  Job  had  often  expressed  a 
wish  to  do.  The  word  here  used 
(n;^)  is  often  employed,  especially 
in  Hiphil,  in  a  forensic  sense,  and 
means  to  argue,  to  shoiv,  to  prove  any 
thing  ;  then  to  argue  down,  to  confute, 
to  convict.  See  Job  vi.  2.5,  xiii.  15, 
xix.  5,  xxxii.  12.  Prov.  ix.  7,  S,  xv. 
12,  xix.  25.  It  is  evidently  used  in 
that  sense  here — a  Hiphil  participle 
(n"'3i^) — and  refers,  not  to  any  man 
in  general  who  reproves  God,  but  to 
Job  in  particular,  as  having  expressed 
a  wish  to  carry  his  cause  before  liim, 
and  to  argue  it  there.  II  Let  him  an- 
swer it.  Or  rather,  '  Let  him  answer 
him.'  That  is,  '  Is  he  now  ready  to 
answer  .''  There  is  now  an  opportu- 
nity for  him  to  carry  his  cause,  as  he 
wished,  directly  before  God.  Is  he 
ready  to  embrace  the  opportuniiy, 
and  to  answer  now  what  the  Al- 
mighty has  said .-"  This  does  not 
mean,  then,  as  the  common  version 
would  seem  to  imply,  that  the  man 
who  reproves  God  must  be  held 
responsible  for  it,  but  that  Job,  who 
had  expressed  the  wish  to  carry  his 
cause  before  God,  had  now  an  oppor- 
tunity to  do  so.  That  this  is  the 
meaning,  is  apparent  from  the  next 
verses,  where  Job  says  that  he  was 
confounded,  and  had  nothing  to  say. 
4.  Behold,  I  am  vile  :  tohat  shall  1 
answer  thee  ?  '  Instead  of  being  able 
to  argue  my  cause,  and  to  vindicato 


264 


JOB. 


shall  I  answer  thee  ?  I  will  lay  ° 
mine  hand  upon  my  mouth. 

a  c.  29.  9.  Mi.  7.  IG.  Zecli.  2.  13.  Ro.  3.  19. 

myself  as  I  had  expected,  I  now  see 
that  I  am  guilty,  and  I  have  nothing 
to  sav.'  He  had  argued  boldly  with 
hi.s  friends.  He  had  before  them 
maintained  his  innocence  of  the 
charges  which  they  brought  against 
iiim,  and  had  supposed  that  he  would 
be  able  to  maintain  the  same  argument 
before  Cod.  But  when  the  opportu- 
nity was  given,  he  felt  that  he  was  a 
poor,  weak  man  ;  a  guilty  and  miser- 
able offender.  It  is  a  very  different 
thing  to  maintain  our  cause  before 
God  from  what  il  is  to  maintain  it 
before  men  ;  and  though  we  may  at- 
tempt to  vindicate  our  own  right- 
eousness when  we  argue  with  our 
fellow-creatures,  yet  when  we  come 
to  maintain  it  before  God  we  shall  be 
dumb.  On  earth,  men  vindicate 
themselves  ;  what  will  they  do  when 
they  come  to  stand  before  God  in  the 
judgment.''  IT  /  will  lay  mine  hand 
upon  my  mouth.  An  expression  of 
silence.  Catlin,  in  his  account  of  the 
Mandan  Indians,  says  that  this  is  a 
common  custom  with  them  when 
any  thing  wonderful  occurs.  Some 
of  them  laid  their  hands  on  tiieir 
mouths,  and  remained  in  this  pos- 
ture by  the  hour,  as  an  expression 
of  astonishment  at  the  wonders  pro- 
duced by  the  brush  in  the  art  of 
painting.  Comp.  Notes  on  ch.  xxi. 
5,  xxix.  0. 

5.  Once  hare  I  spoken.  That  is,  in 
vindicating  myself.  He  liad  once 
spoken  of  God  in  an  irreverent  and 
improper  manner,  and  he  now  saw  it. 
IT  Uut  I  will  not  answer.  I  will  not 
now  answer,  as  I  had  expressed  the 
wish  to  do.  Job  now  saw  that  he 
had  spoken  in  an  improper  manner, 
and  he  says  that  he  would  not  repeat 
what  he  had  said.  H  Yea,  twice.  He 
had  not  only  offended  once,  as  if  in  a 
tiioughtless  and  hasty  manner,  but  he 
had  repeated  it,  showing  deliberation, 
and  thus  aggravating  his  guilt.  When 
a  man  is  brought  to  a  willingness  to 
confess  that  lie  has  doile  wrons  oner. 


5  Once  have  I  spoken  ;  but  I 
will  not  answer  :  yea,  twice ; 
but  I  will  proceed  no  further. 


he  will  be  very  likely  to  see  that  he  has 
been  guilty  of  more  than  one  offence 
One  sin  will  draw  on  the  remem- 
brance of  another,  and  the  gate  once 
open  a  flood  of  sins  will  rush  to  the 
recollection.  It  is  not  common  that 
a  man  can  so  isolate  a  sin  as  to  re- 
pent of  that  alone,  or  so  look  at  one 
oftence  against  God  as  not  to  feel  that 
he  has  been  often  guilty  of  the  same 
crimes.  IT  But  I  tcill  proceed  no 
further.  Job  felt  doubtless  that  if  he 
should  allow  himself  to  speak  again, 
or  to  attempt  now  to  vindicate  him- 
self, he  would  be  in  danger  of  com- 
mitting the  same  error  again.  He 
now  saw  that  God  was  right;  that  he 
had  himself  repeatedly  indulged  in 
an  improper  spirit,  and  that  all  that 
became  him  was  a  penitent  confession 
in  the  fewest  words  possible.  We 
may  learn  here,  (1.)  That  a  view  of 
God  is  fitted  to  produce  in  us  a  deep 
sense  of  our  own  sins.  No  one  can 
feel  himself  to  be  in  the  presence  of 
God,  or  regard  the  Almightv  as  speak 
ing  to  him,  witliout  saving,  '  Lo,  I 
am  vile  !'  There  is  nothing  so  much 
fitted  to  produce  a  sense  of  sinfulness 
and  nothingness  as  a  view  of  God. 
(2.)  The  world  will  be  dumb  at  the 
day  of  judgment.  They  who  have 
been  most  loud  and  bold  in  vindicat- 
ing themselves  will  then  be  silent, 
and  will  confess  that  they  are  vile, 
and  the  whole  world  '  will  become 
guilty  before  God.'  If  the  presence 
and  the  voice  of  God  produced  such 
an  eflect  on  so  good  a  man  as  Job, 
what  will  it  not  do  on  a  wicked 
world.'  (3.)  A  true  penitent  is  dis- 
posed to  use  but  few  words.  '  God  be 
merciful  to  me  a  sinner,'  or  '  lo,  1  am 
vile,'  is  about  all  the  language  wiiich 
the  penitent  employs.  He  does  not  go 
into  long  arguments,  into  meta;)hv- 
sical  distinctions,  into  apologies  and 
vindications,  but  uses  the  sim])lest 
language  of  confession,  and  then 
leaves  the  soul,  and  the  cause,  in  the 
handsofGod.     (4.)  Repentance  con 


CHAPTER  XL. 


265 


6  Then  "  answered  the  Lord 
unto  Job  out  of  the  whirlwind, 
ai,d  said, 

'-•  Gird  up  thy  loins  now  like 
a  m-u  :  I  will  demand  of  thee, 

a  c.  38.  1,  &c. 


sists  ivi  stopping  where  we  are,  and  in 
resolviaj^  to  add  no  more  sin.  '  I 
have  et.id,'  is  its  language.  'I  will 
not  add  ,o  it,  I  '\vill  do  so  no  more,' 
is  the  it«nnediate  response  of  llie  soul. 
A  readib<;ss  to  go  into  a  vindication, 
or  to  exfw.se  one's  self  to  the  danger  of 
sinning  L^ain  in  the  same  way,  is  an 
evidence,  .hat  there  is  no  true  repent- 
ance. J  b,  a  true  penitent,  would 
not  allow  himself  even  to  speak  again 
on  the  sa  'ject  lest  he  should  be  guilty 
of  the  sin  ivhich  he  had  already  com- 
mitted. (5.)  In  repentance  we  must 
be  willing  to  retract  our  errors,  and 
confess  that  we  were  wrong — no  mat- 
ter what  favorite  opinions  we  have 
had,  or  how  tenaciously  and  zealously 
we  have  detended  and  held  them. 
Job  liad  constructed  many  beautiful 
and  eloquent  arguments  in  defence  of 
his  opinions;  he  had  brought  to  bear 
on  the  subject  all  the  results  of  his 
observation  ;  all  his  attainments  in 
science  ;  all  the  adages  and  maxim.s 
that  he  had  derived  from  the  ancients, 
and  from  a  long  intercourse  with  man- 
kind, but  he  was  now  brought  to  a 
willingness  to  confess  that  his  argu- 
ments were  not  solid,  and  that  the 
opinions  which  he  had  cherished 
were  erroneous.  It  is  often  more  diffi- 
cult t»  abandon  opinions  than  vires  ; 
and  the  proud  philosopher  when  he 
e.';er&ises  repentance  has  a  more  difli- 
cult  task  than  the  victim  of  low  and 
debasing  sensuality.  His  opinions  are 
his  idols.  They  embody  the  results 
of  his  reading,  his  reflections,  his 
.conversation,  his  observation,  and 
they  become  a  part  of  himself.  Hence 
it  is,  that  so  many  abandoned  sinners 
are  converted,  and  so  few  philoso- 
phers ;  that  religion  spreads  often 
with  so  much  success  among  the  ob- 
scure and  the  openly  wicked,  while 

VOL      II  12 


and  declare  thou  unto  me. 

8  Wilt  thou  also  disannul  my 
judgment  1  wilt  thou  condemn 
me,  that  thou  mayest  be  right- 
eous 1 


so  few  of  the  '  wise  men  of  the  world' 
are  called  and  saved. 

6.  Then  ansicered  the  Lord  unto  Job 
out  of  the  whirlwind..  See  Notes  on 
ch.  xxxviii.  1.  God  here  resumes 
the  argument  which  had  been  inter- 
rupted in  order  to  give  Job  an  oppor- 
tunity to  speak  atid  to  carry  his  cause 
before  tlie  Almighty,  as  lie  had  de- 
sired. See  ver.  2.  Since  Job  had 
notiiing  to  say,  the  argument,  which 
had  been  suspended,  is  resumed  and 
completed. 

7.  Gird  up  thy  loins  noio  like  a 
vian.  An  expression  taken  from  the 
ancient  mode  of  dress.  That  was  a 
loose,  flowing  robe,  which  was  se- 
cured by  a  girdle  when  travelling,  or 
when  one  entered  upon  any  thing  re- 
quiring energy.  See  Notes  on  Matth. 
v.  38-41.  The  meaning  here  is, 
'  Prepare  thyself  for  the  highest  ef- 
fort that  can  be  made.  Put  forth  all 
your  strength,  and  explain  to  me 
what  will  now  be  said.'  Comp. 
Notes  on  Isa.  xli.  21.  IT  /  will  de- 
mand of  thee.  Heb.  "  I  will  ask  of 
thee."  That  is,  I  will  submit  some 
questions  to  you  to  be  answered.  IT 
«4/ifZ  declare  thou  unto  vie.  Heb. 
"  Cause  me  to  know."  That  is,  fur- 
nisli  a  satisfactorj-  answer  to  these  in- 
quiries, so  as  to  show  that  you  under- 
stand the  subject.  The  object  is  to 
appeal  to  the  proofs  of  divine  wisdom, 
and  to  show  that  the  whole  subject 
was  fiir  above  human  comprehension. 

8.  IVilt  thou  disannul  my  judgment  ? 
Wilt  thou  reverse  tire  judgment 
which  I  have  formed,  and  show  that 
it  should  have  been  different  from 
what  it  is .'  This  was  implied  in 
what  Job  had  undertaken.  He  had 
complained  of  the  dealings  of  God, 
and  this  was  the  same  as  saying  that 
he    could   show  that   those    dealings 


366 


JOB. 


9  Hast  thou  an  arm  like  God  ? 
or  canst  thou  thunder  with  a 
voice  "  like  him  ? 

10  Deck  thyself  now  ivith 
majesty  and  excellency  ;  and 
array  thyself  with  glory  and 
beauty. 

11  Cast   abroad   the    rage   of 

aPs.29.3,4.    6  Ps.  93. 1, 104. 1.   cEx.  18. 11. 


should  have  been  different  from  wli.at 
they  were.  When  a  man  nnirmurs 
against  God,  it  is  always  implied  that 
lie  supposes  he  could  show  why  his 
dealings  should  be  different  from 
what  they  are,  and  that  they  should 
be  reversed.  If  Wilt  thou  condemn 
me,  that  thou  mayest  he  righteous? 
Or,  rather, probabl}-, '  Wilt  thou  siiow 
that  I  am  wrong  because  thou  art 
superior  in  justice  V  Job  had  allow- 
ed himself  to  use  language  which 
strongly  implied  that  God  was  im- 
properly severe.  He  had  regarded 
himself  as  punished  far  beyond  what 
he  deserved,  and  as  suffering  in  a 
manner  which  justice  did  not  demand. 
All  this  implied  that  he  was  more 
righteous  in  the  case  than  God,  for 
when  a  man  allows  himself  to  vent 
such  complaints,  it  indicates  that  he 
esteems  himself  to  be  more  just  than 
his  Maker.  God  now  calls  upon  Job 
to  maintain  this  proposition,  since  he 
had  advanced  it,  and  to  urge  the 
arguments  which  would  prove  that 
he  was  more  righteous  in  the  case 
than  God.  It  was  proper  to  demand 
this.  It  was  a  charge  of  such  a 
nature  that  it  could  not  be  passed 
over  in  silence,  and  God  asks,  there- 
fore, with  emphasis,  whether  Job 
now  supposed  that  he  could  institute 
such  an  argument  as  to  show  that  he 
was  right  and  his  Maker  wrong. 

9.  Hast  thou  an  arm  like  God? 
The  arm  is  the  symbol  of  strength. 
The  question  here  is,  whether  Job 
would  venture  to  compare  his  strength 
with  the  omnipotence  of  God  .'  If  Or 
canst  thou  thunder  with  a  voice  like 
him  ?  Thunder  is  a  symbol  of  the 
majesty   of  the    Most    High,   and    is 


thy  wrath  :  and  behold  every 
one  that  is  proud,  and  abase  him. 

12  Look  on  every  one  that  is  ' 
proud,  and  bring  him  low  ;  and 
tread  down  the  wicked  in  their 
place. 

13  Hide  them  in  the  dust  to- 
gether ;  and  bind  their  faces  in 
secret. 

often  spoken  of  as  the  voice  of  God. 
See  Ps.  xxix.  The  question  here  is, 
whether  Job  could  presume  to  com 
pare  iiimself  with  the  Almighty, 
whose  voice  was  the  thunder.' 

10.  Deck  thyself  now  with  majesty 
and  excellency.  That  is,  such  as  God 
has.  Put  on  every  thing  which  you 
can,  vv-hich  would  indicate  rank, 
wealth,  power,  and  see  whether  it 
could  all  be  compared  with  the 
majesty  of  God.  Comp.  Ps.  civ.  1, 
"  O  Lord  my  God,  thou  art  very 
great ;  thou  art  clothed  with  honor 
and  majesty." 

11.  Cast  abroad  the  rage  of  thy 
wrath.  That  is,  as  God  does.  Show 
that  the  same  effects  can  be  produced 
by  your  indignation  which  there  is  in 
his.  God  appeals  here  to  the  effect 
of  his  displeasure  in  prostrating  his 
foes  as  one  of  the  evidences  of  his 
majesty  and  glory,  and  asks  Job,  if 
he  would  compare  himself  with  him, 
to  imitate  him  in  this,  and  produce 
similar  effects.  II  Jind  behold  every 
one  that  is  proud,  and  abase  him. 
That  is,  look  upon  such  an  one  and 
bring  him  low,  or  humble  him  bv  a 
look.  It  is  implied  here  that  God 
could  do  this,  and  he  appeals  to  it  as 
a  proof  of  his  power. 

12.  And  tread  dozen  the  icicked  in 
their  place.  Even  in  the  very  place 
where  they  are,  crush  them  to  tho 
dust,  as  God  can.  It  is  implieJ  that 
God  was  able  to  do  this,  and  he  ap- 
peals to  it  as  a  proof  of  his  power. 

13.  Hide  them  in  the  dust  together. 
Comp.  Isa.  ii.  10.  The  meaning 
seetns  to  be,  that  God  had  power  to 
prostrate  the  wicked  in  the  dust  of 
the  earth,  and  he  calls  upon  Job  to 


CHAPTER  XL. 


267 


14  Then  will    I  also  confess  ]       15  Behold    now   '  behemoth, 
unto  thee  that  thine  own  right    which    I    made    with    thee  ;    he 


hand  can  save  thee. 


show  his  power  by  doing  the  same 
thing.  H  And  hhtd  their  faces  in 
secret.  The  word  faces  here  is  proh- 
i'.hly  used  (like  the  Greek  7Tori(;o)7ra) 
to  denote  persons.  Tlie  phrase  "to 
hind  them,"  is  expressive  of  having 
tiiem  under  control  or  subjection  ; 
and  the.  phrase  "  in  secret"  may  refer 
to  some  secret  or  safe  place — as  a 
dungeon  or  prison.  The  meaning  ol' 
the  whole  is,  that  God  had  power  to 
restrain  and  control  the  haughty  and 
the  wicked,  and  he  appeals  to  Job  to 
do  the  same. 

14.  Then  will  I  also  confess  nnto 
thee,  &c.  If  you  can  do  all  this,  it 
will  he  full  proof  that  vou  can  save 
yourself,  and  that  you  do  not  need 
the  divine  interposition.  If  Jie  could 
do  all  this,  then  it  might  be  admitted 
that  he  was  qualified  to  pronounce  a 
judgment  on  the  divine  counsels  and 
dealings.  He  would  then  show  that 
he  had  qualifications  for  conducting- 
the  affairs  of  the  universe. 

15.  Behold  noip  behemoth.  Marg. 
'  or,  the  elephant,  as  some  think.'  In 
tlie  close  of  the  argument,  God  ap- 
peals to  two  animals  as  among  the 
chief  of  his  works,  and  as  illustrating 
more  than  any  others  his  power  and 
majesty — the  behemotii  and  the  levi- 
athan. A  great  variety  of  opinions 
lias  been  entertained  in  regard  to  the 
animal  referred  to  here,  though  the 
main  inquiry  lias  related  to  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  elephant  or  the  hip- 
popotiimns  is  denoted.  Since  the 
time  of  Bochart,  who  has  gone  into 
an  extended  examination  of  the  sub- 
ject {Hieroz.  P.  ii.  L.  li.  c.  xv.),  the 
common  opinion  has  been  that  the 
latter  is  here  referred  to.  As  a  speci- 
men of  the  method  of  interpreting  the 
Bible  which  has  prevailed,  and  as  a 
proof  of  the  slow  progress  which  has 
been  made  towards  settling  the  mean- 
ing of  a  difficult  passage,  we  may 
refer  to  some  of  the  opinions  which 


eateth  grass  as  an  ox. 

1  or,  the  elephant,  as  some  think. 

have  been  entertained  in  regard  to 
this  animal.  They  are  chiefly  taken 
from  the  collection  of  opinions  made 
by  Schultens,  in  loc.  Among  them 
are  the  following:  (I.)  That  wild 
animals  in  general  are  denoted.  Tlris 
appears  to  have  been  the  opinion  of 
the  translators  of  the  Septiuigint.  (2.) 
Some  of  the  Rabbins  supposed  that  a 
huge  monster  was  referred  to,  that 
ate  every  day  '  the  grass  of  a  thou- 
sand mountains.'  (3.)  It  has  been 
held  by  some  that  the  wild  bull  was 
referred  to.  This  was  the  opinion 
particularly  of  Sanctius.  (4.)  The 
common  opinion,  until  the  time  of 
Bochart,  has  been  that  the  elephant 
was  meant.  See  the  particular  au- 
thors who  have  held  this  opinion 
enumerated  in  Schultens.  (5.)  Bo- 
chart maintained,  and  since  his  time 
the  opinion  has  been  generally  acqui 
esced  in,  that  the  river-horse  of  the 
Nile,  or  the  hippopotamus,  was  refer- 
red to.  This  opinion  he  has  defended 
at  length  in  the  Hieroz.  P.  ii.  L.  v.  c. 
XV.  (6.)  Others  have  held  that  some 
'  hieroglyphic  monster  '  was  referred 
to,  or  that  the  whole  description  was 
an  emblematic  representation,  though 
without  any  living  original.  Among 
those  who  have  held  this  sentiment, 
some  have  supposed  that  it  is  design- 
ed to  be  emblematic  of  the  old  ser- 
pent ;  others,  of  the  corrupt  and  fallen 
nature  of  man  ;  others,  that  tlie  proud, 
the  cruel,  and  the  bloody  are  denoted  ; 
most  of  the  'Fathers'  supposed  that 
the  Devil  was  here  emblematically 
represented  by  the  behemoth  and  the 
leviathan  ;  and  one  writer  has  main 
tained  tliat  Christ  was  referred  to  ! 
To  these  opinions  may  be  added  the 
supposition  of  Dr.  Good,  that  the 
behemoth  here  described  is  at  present 
a  genus  altogether  extinct,  like  the 
mammoth,  and  other  animals  that 
have  been  discovered  in  fossil  re- 
mains.     This  opinion  is  also  intro- 


263 


JOB. 


tained  by  the  autlior  (if  the  article  on 
Mazologij,  in  the  Edinburgh  Encyclo- 
paedia, chiefly  for  the  reason  that  the 
description  of  the  tail,  of  the  behe- 
moth (ver.  17)  does  not  well  accord 
with  the  hippopotamus.  There  must 
be  admitted  to  be  some  plausil)ility 
in  tills  conjecture  of  Dr.  Good, 
though  perhaps  I  shall  be  able  to  show 
that  there  is  no  necessity  of  resorting 
to  this  supposition.  The  word  beke- 
violh  (ni^n3),  used  here  in  the  plu- 
ral number,  occuis  often  in  the  sin- 
gular number,  to  denote  a  dumb 
beast,  usually  applied  to  the  larger 
kind  of  quadrupeds.  It  occurs  very 
often  in  tlie  Scriptures,  and  is  usually 
translated  beast^  or  collectively  cattle. 
It  usually  denotes  land  aninals,  in 
opposition  to  birds  or  reptiles.  See 
the  Lexicons,  and  Taylor's  Hebrew 
Concordance.  It  is  rendered  by  Dr. 
Nordheimer  (Heh.  Con.)  in  tliis  place, 
hippopotamus.  The  plural  form  is 
often  used  (comp.  Deut.  xxxii.  24. 
Job  xii.  7.  Jer.  xii.  4.  Hab.  ii.  17.  Ps. 
I.  10),  but  in  no  other  instance  is  it 
employed  as  a  proper  name.  Gese- 
nius  supposes  that  under  the  form  of 
the  word  here  used,  tiiere  lies  con- 
cealed some  Egyptian  name  for  the 
hippopotamus,  "  so  modified  as  to  put 
on  the  appearance  of  a  Semitic  word. 
Thus  the  Y.iWio'px^n  pchcmout  denotes 
water-ox,  by  which  epithet  (bomari- 
no)  the  Italians  al>o  designate  the 
hippopotamus."  The  translations  do 
not  afford  much  aid  in  determining 
the  meaning  of  the  word.  The  I^XX 
render  it,  d-rio(a,  wild  beasts ;  Je- 
rome retains  the  word.  Behemoth  ;  the 
Chaldee,  X^'n"'2J2,  beast;  the  Syriao 
retains  the  Hebrew  word  ;  Coverdale 
renders  it,  "  cruel  beast ;  '  Prof  Lee, 
"  the  beasts  ;"  Unibreit,  JYilpferd, 
"Nile-horse;"  and  Noyes,  "river- 
horse."  The  only  method  of  ascer- 
taining, therefore,  what  animal  is 
here  intended,  is  to  compare  carefully 
the  characteristics  here  referred  to 
with  the  animals  now  known,  and  to 
find  in  what  one  tliese  characteristics 
exist.  We  may  here  safely  presume 
on  the  entire  accuracy  of  the  descrip- 


tion, since  we  have  found  the  previous 
descriptions  of  animals  to  accord  en- 
tirely with  the  habits  of  those  existing 
at  the  present  day.  The  illustration 
drawn  from  the  passage  before  us,  in 
regard  to  the  nature  of  the  animal, 
consists  of  two  parts.  (1.)  The  plucr, 
which  the  description  occupies  in  the 
argument.  That  it  is  an  aquatic  ani- 
mal, seems  to  follow  from  the  plan 
and  structure  of  the  argument.  In 
the  two  discourses  of  Jehovah  (ch. 
xxxviii.-xli.),  the  appeal  is  made, 
first,  to  the  phenomena  of  nature  (ch 
xxxviii.)  ;  tiien  to  the  beasts  of  the 
earth,  among  whom  the  ostrich  is 
reckoned  (ch.  xxxix.  1-25)  ;  then  to 
the  fowls  of  the  air  (ch.  xxxix.  26-30)  ; 
and  then  follows  the  description  ol 
the  behemoth  and  the  leviathan.  It 
would  seem  that  an  argument  of  this 
kind  would  not  be  constructed  wiih- 
out  some  allusion  to  the  principal 
wonders  of  the  deep  ;  and  the  fair 
presumption,  therefore,  is,  that  the 
reference  here  is  to  the  principal  ani- 
mals of  the  aquatic  race.  The  argu- 
ment in  regard  to  the  nature  of  the 
animal  from  the  place  which  tiie  de- 
scription occupies,  seems  to  be  con- 
firmed by  the  fact  that  the  account  Oi 
the  behemoth  is  immediately  followed 
by  that  of  the  leviathan — beyond  all 
question  an  aquatic  monster.  As 
they  are  here  grouped  together  in  the 
argument,  it  is  probable  that  they  be- 
long to  the  same  class  ;  and  if  by  the 
leviathan  is  meant  the  crocodile,  then 
the  presumption  is  that  the  river- 
horse,  or  the  hippopotamus,  is  here 
intended.  These  two  animals,  as 
being  Egyptian  wonders,  are  every 
where  mentioned  together  by  ancient 
writers.  See  Herodotus,  ii.  69-71, 
Diod.  Sic.  i.  35,  and  Pliny,  Hist.jYat. 
xxviii.  8.  (2.)  The  character  of  the 
animal  may  be  determined  from  the 
particular  thinrrs  specified.  Those 
are  the  following  :  (a)  It  is  an  am- 
phibious animal,  or  an  animal  whose 
usual  resort  is  the  river,  tliough  he  is 
occasionally  on  land.  This  is  evi- 
dent, because  he  is  mentioned  as 
lying  under  the  covert  of  the  reed 
and  the  fens  ;  as  abiding  in  marsliy 


CHAPTER  XL. 


269 


places,  or  anionfj  the  willows  of  the 
.:rooA.  (vs.  21,  22),  while  at  other 
iii!ies  he  is  on  the  inouiitains,  or 
among  other  animals,  and  feeds  on 
grass  like  the  ox,  vs.  ]5,  21).  This 
account  would  not  agree  well  with 
the  elephant,  wiiose  residence  is  not 
among  marshes  and  fens,  but  on  solid 
ground,  (h)  He  is  not  a  carniveroiis 
animal.  This  is  apparent,  for  it  is 
expressly  mentioned  that  he  feeds  on 
grass,  and  no  allusion  is  made  to 
his  at  any  time  eating  flesh,  vs.  15, 
2>).  This  part  of  the  description 
would  agree  with  the  elephant  as 
well  as  with  the  hippopotamus,  (c) 
His  stretigth  is  in  his  loins,  and  in 
the  navel  of  liis  belly,  ver.  16.  This 
would  agree  with  the  hippopotamus, 
whose  belly  is  eqiuillv  guarded  by 
his  thick  skin  with  the  rest  of  his 
body,  but  is  not  true  of  the  elephant. 
Tiie  strengiii  of  the  elephant  is  in 
his  iiead  and  neck,  and  his  weakest 
part,  tlie  part  where  he  can  be  most 
successfully  attacked,  is  his  belly. 
There  the  skin  is  ihin  and  tender, 
and  it  is  there  thai  the  rhinoceros 
attacks  him,  and  that  he  is  even  an- 
noyed bv  insects.  Pliny,  Lil).  viii. 
c.  20.  .^Elian,  ]/\\>.  xvii.  c.  44.  Comp. 
Notes  on  ver.  ll).  (d)  He  is  distin- 
guished for  some  peculiar  movement 
of  his  tail — some  slow  and  stately 
motion,  or  a  certain  injiexibUitif  of  the 
.ail,  like  a  cedar.  This  will  agree 
with  the  accriunt  of  the  liippopotauius. 
See  Notes  on  ver.  17.  (e)  He  is 
remarkable  for  the  strength  of  his 
bones,  ver.  18-  (f)  He  is  remark- 
able for  the  quantity  of  water  wliich 
he  drinks  at  a  time,  ver.  23  ;  and  ((() 
he  has  the  power  of  forcing  his  way, 
chiefly  by  the  strength  of  his  nose, 
through  snares  by  which  it  is  at- 
tempted to  take  him,  ver.  24.  These 
characteristics  agree  better  with  the 
hippopotamus  than  with  any  other 
known  animal,  and  at  present  critics, 
with  few  exceptions,  agree  in  the 
opinion  that  this  is  the  animal  which 
is  referred  to.  As  additional  reasons 
for  supposing  that  the  elephant  is  not 
referred  to,  we  may  add,  (1)  that 
there,  is  no  allusion  to  the  proboscis 


of  the  elephant,  a  part  of  the  animal 
that  could  not  have  failed  to  be  allu- 
ded to  il'  the  description  had  pertained 
to  him  ;  and  (2)  t))at  the  elephant 
was  wholly  unknown  in  Arabia  and 
Egypt.  The  hippopotamus  ('I/ittd- 
noTauoq)  or  river-horse  belongs  t(» 
the  mammalia,  and  is  of  the  order  of 
the  pachijdrrmatti,  or  I  hick-skinned 
animals.  To  this  order  belong  also 
the  elephant,  the  laj)irus,  the  rhiiu)- 
ceros,  and  the  swine.  Edin.  Ency., 
art.  Mazology.  The  hippopotamus 
is  found  principally  on  the  banks  of 
the  Nile,  though  it  is  found  also  in 
the  other  large  rivers  of  Africa,  as 
the  Niger,  and  the  rivers  which  lie 
between  that  and  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  It  is  not  found  in  any  of  the 
rivers  which  run  north  into  the  Me- 
diterranean except  the  Nile,  and  there 
only  at  present  in  that^jortion  which 
traverses  Upper  Egypt  ;  and  it  \» 
found  also  in  the  lakes  and  fens  of 
Ethiopia.  It  is  distinguished  by  a 
broad  head  ;  its  lips  are  very  thick, 
and  the  muzzle  much  inflated  ;  it 
has  four  very  large  projecting  curved 
teeth  in  the  under  jaw,  and  four  also 
in  the  upper  ;  the  skin  is  very  thick, 
the  legs  short,  four  toes  on  each  foot 
inverted  with  small  hoofs,  and  the 
tail  is  very  short.  The  appearance 
of  the  animal,  when  on  lan»,  is  repre- 
sented as  very  uncouth,  the  body 
being  very  large,  flat,  and  round,  the 
head  enormously  large  in  proportion, 
the  feet  as  disproportionably  short, 
and  the  armament  of  teeth  in  its 
mouth  truly  formidable.  The  length 
of  a  male  has  been  known  to  be 
seventeen  feet,  the  height  se\  en,  and 
the  circumference  fifteen  ;  the  head 
three  feet  and  a  half,  and  the  mouth 
about  two  feet  in  width.  JMr.  Bruce 
mentions  some  in  the  lake  Tzana 
that  were  twenty  feet  in  length. 
The  whole  animal  is  covered  with 
short  hair,  which  is  more  thickly  set 
on  the  under  than  the  upper  parts 
The  general  color  of  the  animal  fs 
brownish.  The  skin  is  exceedingly 
tough  and  strong,  and  was  used  by 
the  ancient  Egyptians  for  the  manu- 
facture of  shields.     They  are  timid 


270 


JOB. 


and  sluggish  on  land,  and  when  pur- 
sued tliey  betake  themselves  to  the 
water,  plunge  in,  and  walk  on  the 
bottom,  though  often  compelled  to 
rise  to  the  surface  to  take  in  fresh 
air.  In  the  day-time  they  are  so 
much  afraid  of  being  discovered,  that 
when  they  rise  for  the  purpose  of 
breathing,  they  only  put  their  noses 
out  of  the  water;  but  in  rivers  that 
are  unfrequented  by  mankind  they 
put  out  the  whole  head.  In  shallow 
rivers  they  make  deep  holes  in  the 
bottom  to  conceal  their  bulk.  They 
are  eaten  with  avidity  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Africa.  The  following  ac- 
count of  the  capture  of  a  hippopotamus 
serves  greatly  to  elucidate  the  descrip- 
tion in  the  book  of  Job,  and  to  sliow 
its  correctness,  even  in  those  points 
which  have  formerly  been  regarded 
as  poetical  exaggerations.  It  is  trana 
lated  from  the  travels  of  IM.  Kilppell, 
the  German  naturalist,  who  visited 
Upper  Egypt,  and  the  countries  still 
farther  up  the  Nile,  and  is  the  latest 
traveller  in  those  regions.  (Reiscn  in 
JVubia,  Kordofan,  4"C.,  Frankf.  182;>, 
p.  52,  scq.)  "  In  the  province  of 
Dongola,  the  fishermen  and  hippopo- 
tamus hunters  form  a  distinct  class  or 
caste  ;  and  are  called  in  the  Berber 
language  Hauauit  (pronounced  Hoie- 
owit.)  They  make  use  of  a  small 
canoe,  formed  from  a  single  tree, 
about  ten  feet  long,  and  capable  of 
carrying  two,  and  at  most  three  men. 
The  harpoon  which  they  use  in  hunt- 
ing the  hippopotamus,  has  a  strong 
barb  just  back  of  the  blade  or  sharp 
edge  ;  above  this  a  long  and  strong 
cord  is  fastened  to  the  iron,  and  to 
the  other  end  of  this  cord  a  block  of 
light  wood,  to  serve  as  a  buoy,  and  aid 
in  tracing  out  and  following  the  ani- 
mal when  struck  The  iron  is  then 
slightly  fastened  upon  a  wooden  han- 
dle, or  lance,  about  eight  feet  long. 
The  hunters  of  the  hippopotamus  har- 
poon their  prey  either  by  day  or  by 
night ;  but  they  prefer  the  former  be- 
cause they  can  then  better  parry  the  fe- 
rocious assaults  of  the  enraged  animal. 
The  hunter  takes  in  his  right  hand 
the  handle  of  the  harpoon,  with  a  part 


of  the  cord  ;  in  his  left  the  remainder 
of  the  cord,  with  the  buoy.  In  tluH 
manner  he  cautiously  approaches  the 
creature  as  it  sleeps  by  da}^  upon  a 
small  island,  or  he  watches  at  night 
for  those  parts  of  the  shore  where  he 
hopes  the  animal  will  come  up  out  of 
the  water,  in  order  to  feed  in  the 
fields  of  grain.  When  he  has  gained 
the  desired  distance  (about  seven  pa 
ces),  he  throws  the  lance  with  his  full 
strength  ;  and  the  harpoon,  in  order 
to  hold,  must  penetrate  the  thick  hide 
and  into  the  flesh.  The  wounded 
beast  commonly  makes  for  the  water, 
and  plunges  beneath  it  in  order  to 
conceal  himself;  the  liandle  of  the 
harpoon  falls  ofi",  but  the  buoy  swuns, 
and  indicates  the  direction  which  tlie 
animal  takes.  The  harpooning  of 
the  hippopotamus  is  attended  with 
great  danger  when  the  hunter  is  per- 
ceived by  the  animal  before  he  has 
thrown  the  harpoon.  In  such  cases 
the  beast  sometimes  rushes,  enraged, 
upon  his  assailant,  and  crushes  him 
at  once  between  his  wide  and  formi- 
dable jaws — an  occurrence  that  once 
took  place  during  our  residence  near 
Shendi.  Sometimes  the  most  harm- 
less objects  e.xcite  the  rage  of  this 
animal ;  thus,  in  the  region  of  Amera, 
a  hippopotamus  once  craunched,  in 
the  same  way,  several  cattle  that  were 
fiistened  to  a  water-wheel.  So  soon 
as  the  animal  has  been  successfully 
struck,  the  hunters  hasten  in  their 
canoe  cautiously  to  approach  the 
buoy,  to  which  they  fasten  a  long 
rope  ;  with  the  other  end  of  this  they 
proceed  to  a  large  boat  or  bark,  on 
board  of  which  are  their  companions. 
The  rope  is  now  drawn  in  ;  the  pain 
thus  occasioned  by  the  barb  of  the 
harpoon  excites  the  rage  of  the  ani- 
mal, and  he  no  sooner  perceives  the 
bark,  than  he  rushes  upon  it ;  seizes 
it,  if  possible,  with  his  teeth  ;  and 
sometimes  succeeds  in  shattering  it, 
or  oversetting  it.  The  hunters,  in 
the  mean  time,  are  not  idle  ;  they 
fasten  five  or  six  other  harpoons  in 
his  flesh,  and  exert  all  their  strength, 
by  means  of  the  cords  of  these,  to 
keep  him  close  alongside  of  the  bark, 


CHAPTER  XL. 


271 


III  Older  thus  lo  dimiiiisli,  in  some 
measure,  the  effects  of  liis  violence. 
They  endeavor,  with  a.  long,  slsarp 
iron,  to  divide  tlie  ligumenium  jugi, 
or  to  beat  in  the  skull — the  usual 
modes  in  which  the  native.s  kill  this 
animal.  Since  the  carcase  of  a  full- 
grown  hippopotamus  is  too  large  to 
be  drawn  out  of  the  water  without 
quite  a  n  iniber  of  men,  they  com- 
monly cut  up  the  animal,  when  killed, 
in  the  water,  and  draw  the  pieces 
ashore.  In  the  whole  Turkish  prov- 
ince of  Dongola,  there  are  only  one 
or  two  hippopotami  killed  annually. 
In  the  years  1821-23,  inclusive,  there 
were  nine  killed,  four  of  which  were 
killed  by  us.  The  flesh  of  the  young 
animal  is  very  good  eating ;  when 
full  grown,  they  are  usually  very  fat, 
and  their  carcase  is  commonly  esti- 
mated as  equal  to  four  or  five  oxen. 
The  hide  is  used  only  for  making 
whips,  which  are  excellent ;  and  one 
liide  furnishes  from  three  hundred 
and  fifty  to  five  hundred  of  them. 
The  teeth  are  not  used.  One  of  the 
hippopotami  which  we  killed  was  a 
very  old  male,  and  seemed  to  have 
reached  his  utmost  growth.  He 
measured,  from  the  snout  to  the  end 
of  the  tail,  about  fifteen  feet,  and  his 
tusks,  from  the  root  to  the  point,  along 
the  external  curve,  twenty-eight  inch- 
es. In  order  to  kill  him,  we  had  a 
battle  with  him  of  four  hours  long, 
and  that  too  in  the  night.  Indeed, 
he  came  very  near  destroying  our 
large  bark,  and  with  it,  periiaps,  all 
our  lives.  The  moment  he  saw  the 
hunters  in  the  small  canoe,  as  they 
were  about  to  fasten  the  long  rope  to 
the  buoy,  in  order  to  draw  him  in,  he 
threw  himself  with  one  rush  upon  it, 
dragged  it  with  him  under  water,  and 
shattered  it  to  pieces.  Tlie  two 
hunters  escaped  the  extreme  danger 
with  great  difficulty.  Out  of  twenty- 
five  musket-balls  which  were  fired 
into  the  monster's  head,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  five  feet,  only  one  penetrated 
the  hide  and  the  bones  near  the  nose  ; 
so  that  every  time  he  breathed  he 
snorted  streams  of  blood  upon  the 
bark.     All  the  other  balls  remained 


sticking  in  the  thickness  of  his  hide. 
We  had  at  last  to  employ  a  small 
cannon,  the  use  of  which  at  so  short 
a  distance  liad  not  before  entered  our 
minds  ;  but  it  was  only  after  five  of 
its  balls,  tired  at  the  distance  of  a  few 
feet,  had  mangled,  most  shockingly, 
the  head  and  body  of  the  monster, 
that  he  gave  up  the  ghost.  The 
darkness  of  the  night  augmented  the 
horrors  and  dangers  of  tlie  contest. 
This  gigantic  hippopotamus  dragged 
our  large  bark  at  will  in  every  direc- 
tion of  the  stream  ;  and  it  was  in 
a  fortunate  moment  for  us  that  he 
yielded,  just  as  he  had  drawn  the  bark 
among  a  labyrinth  of  rocks,  which 
might  have  been  so  much  tlie  more 
dangerous,  because,  from  the  great 
confusion  on  board,  no  one  had  ob- 
served them.  Hippopotami  of  the 
size  of  the  one  above  described  can- 
not be  killed  by  the  natives,  for  want 
of  a  cannon.  These  animals  are  a 
real  plague  to  the  land,  in  conse- 
quence of  their  voraciousness.  The 
inhabitants  have  no  permanent  means 
of  keeping  them  away  from  their 
fields  and  plantations  ;  all  tliat  they 
do  is  to  make  a  noise  during  the 
night  with  a  drum,  and  to  keep  up 
fires  in  different  places.  In  some 
parts  the  hippopotami  are  so  bold 
that  they  will  yield  up  their  pastures, 
or  places  of  ftieding,  only  when  a 
large  number  of  persons  come  rush- 
ing upon  them  with  sticks  and  loud 
cries."  The  method  of  taking  the 
hippopotamus  by  the  Egyptians  was 
the  following  :  "  It  was  entangled  by 
a  running  noose,  at  the  extremity  ot 
a  long  line  wound  upon  a  reel,  at  the 
same  time  that  it  was  struck  by  the 
spear  of  the  chasseur.  This  weapon 
consisted  of  a  broad,  flat  blade,  fur- 
nished with  a  deep  tooth  or  barb  at 
the  side,  having  a  strong  rope  of  con- 
siderable length  attached  to  its  upper 
end,  and  running  ov.er  the  notched 
summit  of  a  wooden  shaft,  which 
was  inserted  into  the  head  or  blade, 
like  a  common  javelin.  It  Vvaa 
thrown  in  the  same  manner,  but  on 
striking,  the  shaft  fell,  and  the  iron 
head  alone  remained  in  the  body  of 


272 


JOB. 


the  anitna],  which,  on  receiving  the 
wound,  plunged  into  deep  water,  the 
rope  having  been  immediately  let 
out.  When  fatigued  by  exertion, 
the  hippopotamus  was  dragged  to  the 
boat,  from  which  it  again  plunged, 
and  the  same  was  repeated  until  it 
became  perfectly  exhausted  ;  fre- 
quently receiving  additional  wounds, 


and  being  entangled  by  other  nooses, 
which  tlie  attendants  held  in  readi- 
ness, as  it  was  brought  within  their 
reach."  Wilkinson's  Manners  and 
Customs  of  the  Jlncient  Egyptians, 
vol.  iii.  pp.  70,  71.  The  following 
sketch  of  the  taking  of  a  hippopota- 
mus, from  a  drawing  at  Thebes,  will 
illustrate  this  interesting  subject  ■ 


CHASE  OF  THE  HIPPOPOTAMUS. 
Tho  Chasseur  is  accompanied  by  his  children — an  attendant  throws  q  noose  over  the  wounded 

animal. 


The  following  cut  will  give  a  good  illustration  of  the  general  appearance 
of  the  hippopotamus  : 


CHAPTER    XL. 


273 


TI  Which  I  viade  with  thee.  That  is, 
either  '  I  have  made  him  as  well  as 
you,  have  formed  him  to  he  a  fellow- 
creature  with  thee,'  or,  '  I  liave  made 
him  near  thee  ' — to  wit,  in  Egypt. 
Tlie  latter  Bochart  supposes  to  be 
tlie  true  interpretation,  though  the 
former  is  the  more  natural.  Accord- 
ing to  that,  the  meaning  is,  that  God 
was  the  Creator  of  botli,  and  he  calls 
on  Job  to  contemplate  the  power  and 
greatness  of  a  fellow-creature,  thougli 
a  brute,  as  illustrating  his  own  power 
and  majesty.  II  He  c.atcth  grass  as 
an  ox.  This  is  mentioned  as  a  re- 
markable property  of  this  animal. 
The  leasons  why  it  was  regarded  as 
so  remarkable  may  have  been,  (1) 
that  it  might  have  been  supposed 
that  an  animal  so  huge  and  fierce, 
and  armed  with  such  a  set  of  teeth, 
would  be  carnivorous,  like  the  lion 
or  the  tiger  ;  and  (2)  it  was  remark- 
able that  an  animal  that  commonly 
lived  in  the  water  should  be  grami- 
nivorous, as  if  it  were  wholly  a  land 


animal.  The  common  food  of  the 
hippopotamus  is  fish.  In  the  water 
they  pursue  their  prey  with  great 
swiftness  and  perseverance.  They 
swim  with  much  force,  and  are  capa- 
ble of  remaining  at  the  bottom  of  a 
river  for  thirty  or  forty  minutes.  On 
some  occasions  three  or  four  of  them 
are  seen  at  the  bottom  of  a  river,  near 
some  cataract,  forming  a  kind  of  line, 
and  seizing  upon  such  fish  as  are 
forced  down  by  the  violence  of  the 
stream.  Goldsmith.  But  it  often 
happens  that  this  kind  of  food  is  not 
found  in  sufficient  abundance,  and 
the  animal  is  then  forced  on  land, 
where  it  commits  great  depredations 
among  plantations  of  sugar-cane  and 
grain.  The  fact  here  adverted  to, 
that  the  food  of  the  hippopotamus  is 
grass  or  herbs,  is  also  mentioned  by 
Diodorus — Karavf/tirai  to'v  tc  olror 
y.at  r(>v  x^QTOV.  The  same  thing  is 
mentioned  also  by  Sparrman,  Travels 
through  South  Africa,  p.  563,  Germ. 
Trans. 


274 


JOB. 


IG  Lo  now,  his  strength  is  in 
nis  loins,  and  his  force  is  in  the 
navel  of  iiis  belly. 


16.  Lo  now,  his  sirength  is  in  his 
loiiis.  Tlie  inspection  of  tlie  figure 
of  the  liippop<nainus  will  show  the 
accuracy  of"  tliis.  Tlie  strength  of 
the  eiepiiant  is  in  the  neck  ;  of  the 
lion  in  the  paw  ;  of  the  horse  and  ox 
in  the  shoulders  ;  but  the  priiicipu! 
power  of  the  river-horse  is  in  the 
loins.  Coinp.  Nahuni  ii.  1.  This 
passage  is  one  that  proves  tliat  the 
elejiliant  cannot  be  referred  to.  1^ 
And  Ids  force  is  in  the  navel  of  his 
belly.  Tiie  word  which  is  liere  ren- 
dered navel  p'^l'^)  means  properly 
firm^  hard,  tough,  and  in  the  jdiiral 
form,  which  occurs  iiere,  means  the 
jinn,  or  tough  parts  of  the  belly,  it 
is  not  used  to  denote  the  naccl  in  any 
olace  in  the  Bible,  and  should  not 
have  been  so  rendered  here.  The 
leference  is  to  the  muscles  and  ten- 
dons of  this  part  of  the  body,  and 
j:  -jrliaps  particularly  to  the  fact  that 
i'  e  hippopotamus,  by  craw  ling  so 
ir  ich  on  his  belly  among  t!ie  stones 
r  the  stream  or  on  land,  acf|iiires 
a  peculiar  hardness  oi  strength  in 
those  parts  of  the  body.  Tins  cleai- 
ly  proves  that  the  elephant  \>  not 
intended.  in  that  animal,  this  is 
the  most  tender  part  of  the  boily. 
Pliny  and  Solinus  both  remark  tliat 
the  elephant  has  a  thick,  hard  skin 
on  the  back,  but  that  the  skin  of  the 
belly  is  soft  and  tender.  Pliny  says 
{Hist.  jXat.  Lib.  viii.  c.  2^)),  that  the 
rhinoceros,  when  about  to  attack  an 
elephant,  "seeks  his  belly,  as  if  he 
knew  that  that  was  the  most  tender 
jiart.  So  /Elian,  Hist.  Lib.  xvii. 
c.  44.     See  Bochart,  as  above. 

17.  He  viovcth  his  tail  like  a  cedar. 
JMarg.  '■  or,  scltcth  up.'  The  Hebrew 
word  (^^i^)  means  to  bend,  to  curve  ; 
and  hence  it  commonly  denotes  to  be 
inclined,  favorably  disposed,  to  desire 
or  please.  The  obvious  meaning  here 
is,  that  this  animal  had  some  remark- 
able power  of  bending  or  rurcing  its 


17  He  '  moveih  his  tail  like  a 
cedar  :  the  sinews  of  his  stones 
are  wrapped  together. 

1   or,  sctlelh  up. 


tail,  and  that  there  was  some  resem- 
blance in  this  to  the  motion  of  the 
cedar-tree  when  moved  by  the  wind. 
In  what  this  resemblance  consisted, 
or  lioio  this  was  a  proof  of  its  power, 
it  is  not  quite  easy  to  determine.  Ro- 
senmUller  says  that  the  meaning  is, 
that  the  tail  of  the  hippopotamus  was 
"smooth,  round,  thick,  and  firm," 
and  in  this  respect  resembled  the  ce- 
dar. The  tail  is  short — being,  accord- 
ing to  Abdollatiph  (see  Ros.),  about 
half  a  cubit  in  length.  In  the  lower 
part,  says  lie,  it  is  thick,  "equalling 
!  the  extremities  of  the  fingers  ;"  and 
the  idea  here,  according  to  this,  is, 
that  tliis  short,  thick,  and  apparently 
firm  tail,  was  bent  over  by  tlie  will  of 
the  animal  as  the  wind  bends  the 
branches  of  the  cedar.  The  point  of 
comparison  is  not  the  length,  but  the 
fact  of  its  being  easily  bent  on  er  or 
curved  at  the  pleasure  of  the  animal 
Why  this,  however,  should  have  been 
mentioned  as  remarkable,  or  how  the 
power  of  tlie  animal  in  this  resjject 
differs  from  others,  is  not  very  appa- 
rent. Some,  who  have  supposed  the 
eiepiiant  to  be  here  referred  to,  have 
understood  this  of  tlie  proboscis.  But 
though  this  would  be  a  remarkable 
proof  of  the  power  of  the  animal,  the 
language  of  the  original  will  not  ad- 
mit of  it.  The  Hebrew  word  (-?' )  is 
used  only  to  denote  the  tail.  It  is 
possible  that  there  may  be  here  an 
allusion  to  the  unwieldy  nature  of 
everv  jjart  of  the  animal,  and  espe 
cially  to  the  thickness  and  inflexi- 
bility of  the  skin  ;  and  what  was 
remarkable  was,  that  notwithstanding 
this,  this  member  was  entirely  at  its 
command.  Still,  the  reason  of  the 
comparison  is  not  very  clear.  Tiie 
description  of  the  movement  of  the 
tail  here  giNen,  would  agree  much 
better  with  some  of  the  extinct  orders 
of  animals  whose  remains  have  been 
recently  discovered  and  arranged  by 


CHAPTER  XL. 


876 


IS  His  bones  arc  as  strong 
pieces  of  brass  ;  his  bones  arc 
like  bars  of  iron. 


Cuvier,  than  witH  that  of  the  hippo- 
potamus. Particularly,  it  would 
agree  with  the  account  of  the  ichthy- 
osaurus (see  BucU  land's  Geologi/j 
Bridgcwatcr  Treatise,  vol.  i.  i;53, 
st:f/.),  though  the  other  parts  of  the 
aniniul  here  described  would  not  ac- 
cord well  witii  tliis.  H  Tlic  sinews  of 
his  stones  arc  tnrupped  together.  (lood 
renders  this,  haunches  ;  Noyes,  I'rot". 
Lee,  RosenniilUer,  and  fcicliultens, 
thiirhs ;  and  the  LXX  simply,  "his 
sinews."  The  Hebrew  word  here 
used  ("^n?)  means  properly /cf/r,  ter- 
ror, Ex.  XV.  16.  Job  xiii.  11  ;  and, 
according  to  Gesenius,  it  then  means, 
since  fear  is  transferred  to  cowardice 
and  shame,  any  thing  which  cuuscs 
shame,  and  hence  the  secret  parts. 
So  it  is  understood  here  by  our  trans- 
lators ;  but  there  does  not  seem  to  be 
any  good  reason  for  this  translation, 
but  there  is  every  reason  wliy  it 
should  not  be  thus  rendered.  The 
object  of  the  description  is  to  inspire 
a  sense  of  the  power  of  the  animal,  or 
of  his  capacity  to  inspire  terror  or 
dread  ;  and  hence  the  allusion  liere 
is  to  those  parts  which  were  fitted  to 
convey  this  dread,  or  this  sense  of 
his  power — to  wit,  his  strength.  The 
usual  meaning  of  the  word,  therefore, 
should  be  retained,  and  the  sense 
then  would  be,  '  the  sinews  of  his 
terror,'  that  is,  of  liis  parts  fitted  to  in- 
spire terror,  '  are  wrapped  together  ;' 
are  firm,  compact,  solid.  The  allu- 
sion then  is  to  his  thighs  or  haunches, 
as  being  formidable  in  their  aspect,  and 
the  seat  of  strength.  The  sinews  or 
muscles  of  these  parts  seemed  to  be 
like  a  hard-twisted  rope  ;  compact, 
firm,  solid,  and  such  as  to  defy  all 
attempts  to  overcome  them. 

18.  His  bones  are  as  strong  pieces 
of  brass.  The  circumstance  here 
adverted  to  was  remarkable,  because 
the  common  residence  of  the  animal 
was   the    water,    and    the    bones    of 


!9  He  is  the  chief  of  the 
ways  of  God  :  he  that  made  him 
can  make  his  sword  to  approach 
unto  him. 

aquatic  animals  are  generally  hollow, 
and  much  less  firm  than  those  of  land 
animals.  It  siiould  be  observed  here, 
that  tiie  word  rendered  brass  in  the 
Scriptures  most  probably  denotes  cop- 
per. Brass  is  a  compound  metal, 
composed  of  copper  and  zinc  ;  and 
there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  the 
art  of  compounding  it  was  known  at 
as  early  a  jieriod  of  the  world  as  the 
time  of  Job.  The  word  here  trans- 
lated 'strong  pieces'  (p'^EX)  is  ren- 
dered by  Schultens  alvei — channels, 
or  beds,  as  of  a  rivulet  or  stream  ;  and 
by  RosenmilUer,  Gesenius,  Noyes, 
and  Umbreit,  tubes — supposed  to  al- 
lude to  the  fact  that  they  seemed  to 
be  hollow  tubes  of  brass.  But  the 
more  common  meaning  of  the  word 
is  strong,  wighttj,  and  there  is  no 
impropriety  in  retaining  that  sense 
here  ;  and  then  the  meaning  would 
be,  that  his  bones  were  so  firm  that 
they  seemed  to  be  made  of  solid  me- 
tal. 

19.  He  is  the  chief  of  the  ways  oj 
God.  In  size  and  strength.  The 
word  rendered  'chief  is  used  in  a 
similar  sense  in  Num.  xxxiv.  20, 
"  Amalek  was  the  first  of  the  na- 
tions ;"  that  is,  one  of  the  most 
poweiful  and  mighty  of  the  nations. 
IT  He  that  made  him  can  make  his 
sipord  approach  unto  him.  Accord- 
ing to  this  translation,  the  sense  is, 
that  God  had  power  over  him,  not- 
withstanding his  great  strength  and 
size,  and  could  take  his  life  when  he 
pleased.  Yet  this,  though  it  would 
be  a  correct  sentiment,  does  not  seem 
to  be  that  which  the  connection  de 
mands.  That  would  seem  to  require 
some  allusion  to  the  strength  of  the 
animal  ;  and  accordingly,  the  trans- 
lation suggested  by  Bochart,  and 
adopted  substantially  by  RosenmOl- 
ler,  Umbreit,  Noyes,  Schultens,  Prof. 
Lee,  and  others,  is  to  be  preferred — 
"  He  that  made  him  furnished  him 


27G 


JOB. 


20  Surely  the  mountains  bring 
him  forth  food,  "  where  all  the 
beasts  of  the  field  play. 


a  Vs.  104.  14. 


with  a  sword."  The  allusion  then 
would  be  to  his  strong,  sharp  teeth, 
bearing  a  resemblance  to  a  sword, 
and  designed  either  for  defence  or  for 
the  purpose  of  cutting  the  long  grass 
on  which  it  fed  when  on  the  land. 
The  propriety  of  this  interpretation 
may  be  seen  vindicated  at  length  in 
Bochart,  Hicroz.  P.  ii.  Lib.  v.  c.  xv. 
pp.  766,  762.  The  auTirj — the  harpe, 
i.  e.  the  sickle  or  scythe,  was  ascrib- 
ed to  the  hippopotamus  by  some  of 
the  Greek  writers.  Thus  Nicander, 
Tkeriacon,  ver.  566  : 

"'H.    liTTTuv,  Tov    NtiXof   xmip    Haiv    a!0a'\6- 

saaaf 
BiJKti,    dpovprjiTtv     Jt     KOKTiy      iiztl3a}.\crai 

"APKHN. 

On  this  passage  the  Scholiast  remarks, 
"The  cionr],  Iiarpc,  means  a  sickle, 
and  the  teeth  of  the  hippopotamus 
are  so  called — teaching  that  this  ani- 
mal consumes  (rgo'iyfi)  the  harvest." 
See  Bochart  also  for  other  e.xamples. 
A  slight  inspection  of  the  cut  will 
show  with  what  propriety  it  is  said 
of  the  Creator  of  the  hippopotamus, 
that  he  had  armed  him  with  a  sickle, 
or  sword. 

20.  Surely  the  mountains  bring  him 
forth  food.  That  is,  though  he  lies 
commonly  among  tlie  reeds  and  fens, 
and  is  in  the  water  a  considerable 
portion  of  his  time,  yet  he  also  wan- 
ders to  the  mountains,  and  finds  his 
food  there.  But  the  point  of  the  re- 
mark here  does  not  seem  to  be,  that 
the  mountains  brought  forth  food  for 
him,  but  that  he  gathered  it  while  all 
the  wild  beasts  played  around  him,  or 
sported  in  his  very  presence.  It  was 
remarkable  that  an  animal  so  large 
and  mighty,  and  armed  with  such  a 
set  of  teeth,  should  not  be  carnivo- 
rous, and  that  the  wild  beasts  on 
the  mountains  should  continue  their 
sports  without  danger  or  alarm  in 
his  very  presence.  This  fact  could 
te  accounted  for  partly  because  the 


21  He  lieth  under  the  shady 
trees,  in  the  covert  of  the  reed, 
and  fens. 


motions  of  the  hippopotamus  were  so 
very  slow  and  clumsy  that  the  wild 
beasts  liad  nothing  to  fear  from  him, 
and  could  easily  escape  from  him  if 
he  were  disposed  to  attack  them,  and 
partly  from  tfie  fact  that  he  seems  to 
have  jireferrcd  vegetable  food.  The 
hippopotamus  is  seldom  carnivorous, 
except  when  driven  by  extreme  hun- 
ger, and  in  no  respect  is  he  formed 
to  be  a  beast  of  prey.  In  regard  to 
the  fact  that  the  hippopotamus  is 
sometimes  found  in  mountainous  or 
elevated  places,  see  Bochart. 

21.  He  lieth  under  the  shady  trees. 
Referring  to  his  usually  inactive  and 
lazy  life.  He  is  disposed  to  lie  down 
in  the  shade,  and  especially  in  the 
vegetable  growth  in  marshy  places 
on  the  banks  of  lakes  and  rivers, 
rather  than  to  dwell  in  the  open  field 
or  in  the  upland  forest.  This  ac- 
count agrees  well  with  the  habits  of 
the  hippopotamus.  The  word  here 
and  in  ver.  22  rendered  shady  trees 
(D'^JXS),  is  by  Gesenius,  Noyes, 
Prof.  Lee,  and  Schultens,  translated 
lotus,  and  icild  lotus.  The  Vulgate, 
Syriac,  Rosenmdller,  Aben-Ezra,  and 
others,  render  it  shady  trees.  It  oc- 
curs nowhere  else  in  the  Scriptures 
and  it  is  difficult,  therefore,  to  deter- 
mine its  meaning.  According  to 
Schultens  and  Gesenius,  it  is  derived 
from  the  obsolete  word  ?N^,  tzddl, 
to  be  thin,  slender  ;  and  hence  in  Ara- 
bic it  is  applied  to  the  wild  lotus — a 
plant  that  grows  abundantly  on  tlie 
banks  of  the  Nile,  and  that  often 
serves  the  wild  beasts  of  the  desert 
for  a  place  of  retreat.  It  is  not  very 
important  whether  it  be  rendered  the 
lotus,  or  shades,  though  the  probable 
derivation  of  the  word  seems  to  favor 
the  former.  IT  In  the  covert  of  the 
reed.  It  is  well  known  that  reeds 
aboimded  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile. 
These  would  furnish  a  convenient 
and  a  natural  retreat  for  the  hippo- 


CHAPTER  XL: 


27T 


22  The  shady  trees  cover  him  '  23  Behold,  he  '  drinkr^di  uj)  a 
with  their  shadow  ;  the  wiHows  I  river,  and  hasteth  not  :  lie  trust- 
of  the  brook  compass  him  about,     eth  that  he  can  draw  up  Jordan 


1   opprc.^seth. 


pot;inuis.  11  And  fins,  "^^3 — 7narsh, 
viarshij  places.  Tliis  passage  proves 
thai  the  elepliant  is  not  here  referred 
to.  He  is  never  found  in  sucli  pla- 
ces. 

22.  The  shady  trees.  Probably  the 
lote-trees.  See  on  ver.  21.  Tiie 
same  word  is  liere  used.  11  The  iv'd- 
ioiD-trccs  of  the  brook.  Of  the  stream, 
or  rirnlet.  The  Hebrew  word  ('D?) 
means  rather  a  ready  ;  a  gor£;e  or  gul- 
ley,  wiiich  is  swollen  with  torrents  in 
the  winter,  but  wliicli  is  frequently 
dry  in  summer.  See  Notes  on  cii. 
vi.  15.  Willows  grew  commonly  on 
the  banks  of  rivers.  Tliey  could 
not  be  cultivated  in  the  desert.  Isa. 
XV.  7. 

23.  Behold,  he  drinketh  up  a  river. 
Marg.  oppresscth.  The  margin  ex- 
presses the  proper  meaning  of  the 
Hebrew  word,  P'^^J-  It  usually 
means  to  oppress,  to  treat  with  vio- 
lence and  injustice  ;  and  to  defraud, 
or  extort.  But  a  very  different  sense 
is  given  to  this  verse  by  Bochart, 
Gesenius,  Noyes,  Schultens,  Umbreit, 
Prof.  Lee,  and  Rosenmilller.  Ac- 
cording to  the  interpretation  given 
by  them  the  meaning  is,  '  The  stream 
overfloweth,  and  he  ieareth  not  ;  he 
is  secure,  even  though  Jordan  rush 
forth  even  to  his  mouth.'  The  refer- 
ence then  would  be,  not  to  the  fict 
that  he  was  greedy  in  his  mode  of 
drinking,  but  to  the  fact  that  this 
huge  and  fierce  animal,  that  found  its 
food  often  on  the  land,  and  that  re- 
posed under  the  shade  of  the  lotus 
and  the  papyrus,  could  live  in  the 
water  as  well  as  on  the  land,  and 
was  unmoved  even  though  the  im- 
petuous torrent  of  a  swollen  river 
should  overwhelm  him.  The  names 
by  which  this  translation  is  recom- 
mended are  a  sufficient  guarantee 
that  it  is  not  a  departure  from  the 
proper  meaning  of  the  original.  It  is 
also    the  most    natural    and    obvious 


into  his  mouth. 


interpretation.  It  is  impossible  to 
make  good  sense  of  the  phrase  '  he 
oppresscth  a  river  ;'  nor  does  the 
word  used  properly  admit  of  tlie 
translation  'lie  drinketh  up."  The 
word  river  in  this  place,  therefore 
(■"if^?)?  is  to  be  regarded  as  in  the 
nominative  case  to  P'l'?'.'],  and  tbe 
meaning  is,  that  when  a  swollen  and 
impetuous  river  rushes  along  ami 
bears  all  before  it,  and,  as  it  were, 
oppresses  every  thing  in  its  course, 
he  is  not  alarmed  ;  he  makes  no 
effort  to  flee  ;  he  lies  perfectly  calm 
and  secure.  What  was  remarkable 
in  this  appears  to  have  been,  that  an 
animal  that  was  so  much  on  land, 
and  that  was  not  properly  a  fish, 
should  be  thus  calm  and  composed 
when  an  impetuous  torrent  rolled 
over  him.  The  LXX  appear  to  have 
been  aware  that  this  was  the  true 
interpretation,  for  they  render  this 
part  of  the  verse,  'Eav  yevtjTai  nkrjf.i- 
fivoa,  y..T.X. — "Should  there  cornea 
flood,  he  would  not  regard  it."  Our 
common  translation  seems  to  have 
been  adopted  from  the  Vulgate — Ecce 
absorbcbit  fiuvium.  IT  He  trusteth 
that  he  can  draw  up  Jordan  into  his 
mouth.  Or  rather,  '  He  is  confident 
[i.  e.  unmoved]  though  Jordan  should 
rush  forth  to  his  mouth.'  The  idea 
is,  that  theugh  the  whole  river  Jor- 
dan should  seem  to  pour  down  upon 
him  as  if  it  were  about  to  rush  into 
his  mouth,  it  would  not  disturb  him. 
Even  such  an  impetuous  torrent 
would  not  alarm  him.  Being  am- 
phibious, h«  would  not  dread  what 
would  fill  a  land  animal  with  alarm. 
There  is  n»  evidence  that  the  hippo- 
potamus was  ever  found  in  the  river 
Jordan,  nor  is  it  necessary  to  suppose 
this  in  order  to  understand  this  pas- 
sage. The  mention  of  the  Jordan 
shows  indeed  that  this  river  was 
known  to  the  writer  of  this  book, 
and  that  it  was  probably  written  b-" 


278 


JOB 


24  He    '  taketh    it    with    his  I  eyes  .  his  nose  pierceth  through 


1  or,  TViU  any  take  him  in  his  sight,  or,  bore  his 
nose  icith  a  gin  1  c.  4 1 .  1 ,  2. 

some  one  who  resided  in  the  vicinity. 
In  speaking  of  this  huge  foreign  ani- 
mal, it  was  not  unnatural  to  mention 
a  riTer  that  was  familiarly  known, 
and  to  say  that  he  would  not  be 
alarmed  should  such  a  river  rush 
suddenly  and  impetuously  upon  him. 
Even  though  the  hippopotamus  is  an 
inhabitant  of  the  Nile,  and  was  never 
seen  in  the  Jordan,  it  was  much  more 
natural  to  mention  this  river  in  this 
connection  than  the  Nile.  It  was 
better  known,  and  the  illustration 
would  be  better  understood,  and  to 
an  inhabitant  of  that  country  would 
be  much  more  striking.  I  see  no 
reason,  therefore,  for  the  supposition 
of  Bochart  and  RosenmQller,  that  the 
Jordan  here  is  put  for  any  large  river. 
The  illustration  is  just  such  as  one 
would  have  used  who  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  Jordan — that  the 
river-horse  would  not  be  alarmed 
even  though  such  a  river  should  pour 
impetuously  upon  him. 

24.  He  taketh  it  icith  his  eyes. 
Marg.  '  Or,  xcill  any  take  him  in  his 
sight,  or,  bore  his  nose  icith  a  gin  P' 
From  tills  marginal  reading  it  is  evi- 
dent that  our  translators  were  much 
perple.xed  with  this  passage.  Exposi 
tors  have  been  also  much  embarrassed 
in  regard  to  its  meaning,  and  have 
differed  much  in  their  exposition. 
Rosenmilller  supposes  that  this  is  to 
be  regarded  as  a  question,  and  is  to 
be  rendered,  "  AVill  the  hunter  take 
him  while  he  sees  him  ?" — meaning 


that  he  could  not  be  taken  without 
some  snare  or  guile.  The  same  view 
also  is  adopted  by  Bochart,  who  saj's 
that  the  hippopotamus  could  be  taken 
only  by  some  secret  snare  or  pitfall. 
The  common  mode  of  taking  him,  he 
says,  was  to  excavate  a  place  near 
where  the  river-horse  usually  lay, 
and  to  cover  it  over  with  reeds  and 
canes,  so  that  he  would  fall  into  it 
unawares.  The  meaning  then  is, 
that  the  hunter  could  not  approach 
him  openly  and  secure  him  while  he 
saw  him,  but  that  some  secret  plan 
must  be  adopted  to  take  him.  The 
meaning  then  is,  '  Can  he  be  taken 
when  he  sees  the  hunter.''  IT  His 
nose  pierceth  through  s?iares.  Or 
rather,  '  When  taken  in  snares,  can 
any  one  pierce  his  nose  '''  That  is. 
Can  the  hunter  even  then  pierce  hii 
nose  so  as  to  put  in  a  ring  or  cord 
and  lead  him  wherever  he  pleases  .' 
This  was  the  common  method  by 
which  a  wild  animal  was  secured 
when  taken  (see  Notes  on  Isa.  xxxvii. 
29),  but  it  is  here  said  that  this  could 
not  be  done  to  this  huge  animal.  He 
could  not  be  subdued  in  this  manner. 
He  was  a  wild,  untamed,  and  fierce 
animal,  that  defied  all  the  usual  me- 
thods by  which  wild  beasts  were 
made  captive.  In  regard  to  the  diffi- 
culty of  taking  this  animal,  see  the 
account  of  the  method  by  which  it  is 
now  done,  in  the  Notes  on  ver.  15. 
That  account  shows  that  there  is  a 
striking  accuracy  in  the  description. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 


ANALYSIS    OF    THE    CHAPTER. 


For  a  general  view  of  the  design  of  tlii-s  chapter,  see  the  Analysis  of  ch.  xl.  The  arfjumcnl 
in  this  chiipter  is  derived  wholly  from  the  leviathiin,  and  relates  to  the  fo'lowing  points  : — He 
cannot  be  taken  with  a  hook  or  with  a  cord,  vs.  1,  2 ;  he  will  not  bo  tamed,  or  come  and  submit 
himself  to  man,  vs.  3-5  ,  be  cannot  be  served  up  at  a  bancjuet,  ver.  6  ;  bis  head  cannot  be  piurccd 
with  barbed  irons,  ver.  7;  and  the  sight  of  him  was  enough  to  deter  one  from  an  attempt  to  take 
him,  vs.  i^-lO.  God  then  appeals  to  ihe  particular  parts  of  the  animal,  and  goes  into  a  minute 
description  of  him.  He  says  he  will  not  conceal  his  parts  that  are  so  lilted  to  exci'e  terror  and 
admiration,  vs.  II,  12.  He  refers  particularly  to  his  mouth  and  teeth,  vs.  13,  14  ;  tu  his  scales, 
vs.  15-17  ;  to  his  eyes  like  the  eyelids  of  the  morning,  ver.  18  ;  to  the  smoke  and  tire  that  seemed 
to  go  out  of  bis  mouth  and  nostriU,  vs  19-21  ;  to  the  strength  of  bis  neck  and  the  compaclness 
of  ills  Hesh,  vs.  Q2-24  ;  to  his  irresistible  power,  and  to  the  fact  that  he  disregarded  all  the  usual 
weapons  for  taking  wild  beasts,  vs.  25-30  ;  and  to  his  appearance  when  be  moves  through  the 
deep,  vs.  31,  32.  It  is  then  added  (vs.  33,  34),  that  there  is  notliing  on  oartb  like  him,  and  that 
among  the  most  proud  works  of  God  he  is  a  king. 


c 


ANST  thou  draw  out  '  levia- 
than "  with  an  hook  ?  or  his 

]  i.  e.  a  whale,  or,  a  whirlpool. 


1.  Canst  thou  draw  out.  As  a  fisii 
is  drawn  out  of  the  water.  The 
usual  method  by  wliich  fish  were 
taken  was  with  a  hook  ;  and  the 
meaning  here  is,  that  it  was  not  pos- 
sible to  take  the  leviathan  in  this 
manner.  The  whole  description 
here  is  of  an  animal  that  lived  in 
the  water.  11  Leviathan.  Much  has 
been  written  respecting  this  animal, 
and  the  opinions  which  have  been 
entertained  have  been  very  various. 
Scliultens  enumerates  the  following 
classes  of  opinions  in  regard  to  the 
animal  intended  here.  1.  The  opin- 
ion that  the  word  leviathan  is  to  be 
retained,  without  attempting  to  ex- 
plain it — implying  tJiat  there  was 
uncertainty  as  to  the  meaning.  Un- 
der this  head  he  refers  to  the  Chaldee 
and  the  Vulgate,  to  Aquila  and  Sym- 
macbus,  where  the  word  is  retained, 
and  to  the  Septuagint,  where  the 
word  Jodxni'Tci.  dragon,  is  used,  and 
also  the  Syriac  and  Arabic,  where 
the  same  word  is  used.  2.  The  fable 
of  the  Jews,  who  mention  a  serpent 
so  large  that  it  encompassed  the 
whole  earth.  A  belief  of  the  exist- 
ence of  such  a  marine  serpent  or 
monster  still  prevails  atnong  the  Nes- 


tongue  with  a  cord  7vhich  thou 
■  lettest  down  ? 

a  Ps.  104.  26.  Is.  27.  1.  2  drowncH. 

torians.  3.  The  opinion  that  tlie 
whale  is  intended.  4.  The  o])iuion 
that  a  large  fisii  called  Malar,  or  Ma- 
sar,  which  is  found  in  the  Mediterra- 
nean, is  denoted.  This  is  the  opin- 
ion of  Grotius.  5.  Tfie  opinion  lii.it 
the  crocodile  of  the  Nile  is  denotetl. 
6.  The  opinion  of  Hasaeiis,  that  not 
the  whale  is  intended,  but  the  Orca, 
a  sea-monster  armed  with  teeth,  tmd 
the  enemy  of  the  whale.  7.  Others 
have  understood  the  whole  descrip- 
tion as  allegoriciil,  as  representing 
monsters  of  iniquity  ;  and  among 
these,  some  have  regarded  it  as  de- 
scriptive of  the  devil  I  See  Scliul- 
tens. To  these  may  be  added  the 
description  of  Milton  : 

that  sea-beast 

Leviathan,  which  God  of  all  bis  works 
Created  hug'st  that  swim  the  ocean-stream , 
Him,  Imply,  slumb'ring  on  the  Norway  foam, 
Tiie  pilot  of  some  small  night-foundered  skiff 
Deeming  some  island,  oft,  as  seamen  toll, 
With  fixed  anchor  in  his  scaly  rind 
Moors  by  bis  side  under  the  lee,  while  night 
Invests  the  s-ja,  and  wished  morn  delays. 

Par.  Lost,  B.  i. 

For  a  full  investigation  of  the  subjec* 
Bochart  may  be  consulted,  Hieroz 
P.  ii.  Lib.  v.  0.  xvi.-xviii.  The  con 
elusion   to   which    he   comes  is,  that 


280 


JOB. 


the  crocodile  of  the  Nile  is  denoted  ; 
and  in  this  opinion  critics  have  gen- 
erally, since  his  time,  acquiesced. 
The  opinions  which  are  entitled  to 
most  attention  are  those  which  regard 
(he  animal  here  described  as  either 
the  wiiale  or  the  crocodile.  The 
objections  to  the  supposition  that  the 
whale  is  intended  are  such  as  the 
following:  (1.)  That  the  whale  tribes 
do  not  inhabit  the  jMediterranean, 
much  less  the  rivers  which  empty 
into  it — with  which  alone  it  is  sup- 
posed Job  could  have  been  acquaint- 
ed. (2.)  That  the  animal  here  de- 
scribed differs  from  the  whale  in 
many  essential  particulars.  "This 
family  of  marine  monsters  have  nei- 
their  proper  snout  nor  nostrils,  nor 
proper  teeth.  Instead  of  a  snout, 
they  have  a  mere  spiracle,  or  blowing- 
hole,  with  a  double  opening  on  the 
top  of  the  liead  ;  and  for  teeth,  a 
liard  expanse  of  horny  laminns,  which 
we  call  wlialebone,  in  the  upper  jaw. 
The  eyes  of  the  common  whal^, 
moreover,  instead  of  answering  the 
description  here  given,  are  most  dis 
proportionately  small,  and  do  not 
exceed  in  size  those  of  the  ox.  Nor 
can  this  monster  be  regarded  as  of 
fierce  habits  or  unconquerable  cour- 
age ;  for  instead  of  attacking  the 
larger  sea-animals  for  plunder,  it 
feeds  chiefly  on  crabs  and  medusas, 
and  is  often  itself  attacked  by  the  ork 
or  grampus,  though  less  than  half  its 
size."  Dr.  Good.  These  consider- 
ations seem  to  be  decisive  in  regard 
to  the  supposition  that  the  animal 
here  referred  to  is  the  whale.  In 
fact,  there  is  almost  nothing  in  the 
description  that  corresponds  with  the 
whale,  except  the  size.  Tlie  whole 
account,  on  the  contrary,  agrees  well 
with  the  crocodile,  and  there  are 
several  considerations  v^'hich  may  be 
suggested,  before  we  proceed  with 
the  exposition,  which  correspond 
with  the  supposition  that  this  is  the 
animal  intended.  They  are  such  as 
these  :  (I.)  The  crocodile  is  a  natu- 
ral inhai>itant  of  the  Nile  and  of 
other  Asiatic  and  African  rivers,  and 
it    is  reasonable   to  suppose  that    an 


animal  is  referred  to  that  was  well 
known  to  one  vi'ho  lived  in  the  coun- 
try of  Job.  Though  the  Almighty  is 
the  speaker,  and  could  describe  an 
animal  wholly  unknown  to  Job,  yet 
it  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose  tliat 
such  an  unknown  animal  would  be 
selected.  The  appeal  was  to  what 
he  knew  of  the  works  of  Cod.  (2.) 
The  general  description  agrees  willi 
this  animal.  The  leviathan  is  repre- 
sented as  wild,  fierce,  and  ungovern- 
able ;  as  of  vast  extent,  and  as  terri- 
ble in  his  aspect  ;  as  having  a  mouth 
of  vast  size,  and  armed  with  a  formi- 
dable array  of  teeth  ;  as  covered  with 
scales  set  near  togetiier  like  a  coat  of 
mail  ;  as  distinguished  by  the  fierce- 
ness of  his  eyes,  and  by  the  frightfu\ 
aspect  of  his  mouth  ;  as  endowed 
with  great  strength,  and  incapable  ol 
being  taken  in  any  of  the  ordinary 
methods  of  securing  wild  be.ists. 
This  general  description  agrees  well 
with  the  crocodile.  These  animals 
are  found  in  the  rivers  of  Africa,  and 
also  in  the  southern  rivers  of  Ameri- 
ca, and  are  usually  called  the  alii 
gator.  In  the  Amazon,  the  Niger, 
and  the  Nile,  they  occur  in  great 
numbers,  and  are  usually  from  eigh- 
teen to  twenty-seven  feet  long  ;  and 
sometimes  lying  as  close  to  each 
other  as  a  raft  of  timber.  Goldsmith. 
The  crocodile  grows  to  a  great  length, 
being  sometimes  found  thirty  feet 
long  from  the  tip  of  the  snout  to  the 
Old  of  the  tail  ;  though  its  most  usual 
leugtli  is  about  eighteen  or  twenty 
feet.  "The  armor,  with  which  the 
upper  part  of  the  body  is  covered, 
may  be  numbered  among  the  most 
elaborate  pieces  of  Nature's  mechan- 
ism. In  the  full-grown  animal  it  is 
so  strong  and  thick  as  easih'  to  repel 
a  musket-ball.  The  whole  animal 
appears  as  if  covered  with  the  most 
regular  and  curious  carved  work. 
The  mouth  is  of  vast  width,  the  gajie 
Jiaving  a  somewhat  flexiious  outline, 
and  both  jaws  being  furnished  v.ith 
very  numerous,  sliar])-pointed  teeth. 
The  nuuii)erof  teeth  in  each  jaw  is 
thirty  or  more,  and  they  are  so  dis- 
posed as  to  alternate  witli  eacli  other 


CHAPTER  XLI. 


^1 


when  the  mouth  is  closed.  The  legs 
are  short,  but  strong  and  musctilar. 
In  the  glowing  regions  of  Africa, 
where  it  arrives  at  its  full  strength 
and  power,  it  is  justly  regarded  as  the 
most  formidable  inhabitant  of  the 
rivers."  Shaw's  Zoology,  vol.  iii.  p. 
384.  The  crocodile  seldom,  except 
pressed  with  hunger,  or  for  the  jmr- 
pose  of  depositing  its  eggs,  leaves  the 
water.  Its  usual  method  is  to  float 
along  the  surface,  and  seize  whatever 
animals  come  within  its  reach  ;  but 
when  this  method  fails,  it  then  goes 
nearer  the  bank.  There  it  waits, 
among  the  sedges,  for  a!iy  animal 
that  may  come  down  to  drink,  and 
seizes  uj)on  it,  and  drags  it  into  the 
water.  The  tiger  is  tlius  often  seized 
by  the  crocodile,  and  dragged  into 
the  river  and  drowned.  (3.)  A  third 
reason  for  supposing  that  the  croco- 
dile is  here  intended,  arises  from  the 
former  conclusion  concerning  the 
behemoth,  ch.  xl.  15,  seq.  The  de- 
scription of  the  leviathan  immediately 
follows  that,  and  the  presumption  is 
that  thev  were  animals  that  were 
usually  found  inhabiting  tlie  same 
district  of  countrv.  If,  therefore,  the 
behemoth  be  the  hippopotamus,  there 
is  a  presumption  that  the  leviathan  is 
the  crocodile — an  inhabitant  of  the 
same  river,  equally  amphibious,  and 
even  more  terrible.  "  And  this  con- 
sideration," says  the  Editor  of  the 
Pictorial  Bible,  "  is  strengthened, 
when  we  consider  that  the  two  ani- 
mals were  so  associated  by  the  an- 
cients. Some  of  the  paintings  at 
Herculaneum  represent  Egyptian 
landscapes,  in  which  we  see  the  croc- 
odile lying  among  the  reeds,  and 
the  hippopotamus  browsing  upon  the 
plants  on  an  island.  So  also  in  the 
famous  Mosaic  pavemerit  at  Praenes- 
te,  representing   the  plants  and  ani- 


mals of  Egypt  and  Ethiopia,  the 
river-horse  and  the  crocodile  aie 
associated  in  the  same  group,  in  the 
river  Nile."  The  crocodile  was  for- 
merly found  in  abundance  in  Lower 
Egypt  and  the  Delta,  but  it  now  lim- 
its the  extent  of  its  visits  northward 
to  the  districts  about  Manfaloot,  and 
the  hippopotamus  is  no  longer  seen 
in  Lower  Ethiopia.  Neither  the  hip- 
popotamus nor  the  crocodile  appear 
to  have  been  eaten  by  the  ancient 
Egyptians.  Pliny  mentions  the  me- 
dicinal properties  of  both  of  them 
(xxviii.  8),  and  Plutarch  affirms  that 
the  people  of  Apollinopolis  used  to 
eat  the  crocodile  (de  Isid.  s.  50)  ;  but 
this  does  not  appear  to  have  been  a 
usual  custom.  Herodotus  says  that 
"  some  of  the  Egyptians  consider  the 
crocodile  sacred,  while  others  make 
war  upon  it  ,  and  those  who  live 
about  Thebes  and  the  lake  Moeris 
(in  the  Arsinoite  nome),  hold  it  in 
great  veneration."  ii.  69.  In  some 
cases  the  crocodile  was  treated  with 
the  greatest  respect,  and  kept  up  at 
considerable  expense  ;  it  was  fed  and 
attended  with  the  most  scrupulous 
care  ;  geese,  fish,  and  various  meats 
were  dressed  purposely  for  it ;  they 
ornamented  its  head  with  ear-rings 
and  its  feet  with  bracelets  and  neck- 
laces of  gold  and  artificial  stones  ;  it 
was  rendered  tame  by  kind  treatment, 
and  after  death  the  body  was  em- 
balmed in  a  sumptuous  manner.  In 
other  parts  of  Egypt,  however,  the 
animal  was  held  in  the  greatest  ab- 
horrence, and  they  lost  no  opportu- 
nity of  destroying  it.  See  Wilkin- 
son's Manners  and  Cvstoins  of  the 
JJncicnt  Egnptians,  vol.  iii.  p.  75,  scq. 
The  following  cut,  from  the  Pictorial 
Bible,  will  furnish  an  idea  of  the 
form  of  the  crocodile  : 


282 


JOB. 


The  word  here  rendered  leviathan 
("l*^^'^)  occurs  only  in  this  place  and 
in  oil.  iii.  8.  Ps.  Ixxiv.  14,  civ.  26. 
Isa.  xxvii.  1.  In  all  these  place  it  is 
rendered  leviathan,  except  in  Job  iii. 
8,  where  it  is  rendered  in  the  text, 
'  their  mourning,'  in  the  margin,  l.evi- 
athan.  See  Notes  on  that  verse,  and 
comp.  Notes  on  Isa.  xxvii.  1.  The 
connection  of  the  word  with  tlie  root 
is  not  certainly  known.  Gesenius 
regards  it  as  derived  from  "^J^,  to  join 
one's  self  to  any  one,  and  then  to 
wreathe,  to  fold,  to  curve  ;  and  in 
Arabic  to  weave,  to  ticist,  as  a  wreath 
or  garland  ;  and  that  the  word  is  ap- 
plied to  an  animal  that  is  icreathed, 
or  that  gathers  itself  in  folds — a 
twisted  animal.  In  ch.  iii.  8  the  word 
is  used  to  denote  some  huge,  untam- 
able, and  fierce  monster,  and  will 
agree  there  with  the  supposition  that 
the  crocodile  is  intended.  See  Notes 
on  that  place.  In  Ps.  Ixxiv.  14  the 
allusion  is  to  Pharaoh,  compared  with 


the  leviathan,  and  the  passage  would 
agree  best  with  the  supposition  that 
the  allusion  was  to  the  crocodile. 
The  crocodile  was  an  inhabitant  of 
the  Nile,  and  it  was  natural  to  allude 
to  that  in  describing  a  fierce  tyrant 
of  Egypt.  In  Ps.  civ.  26  the  allusion 
is  to  some  huge  animal  of  the  deep, 
particularly  of  the  Mediterranean, 
and  the  language  would  apply  to  any 
sea-monster.  In  Isa.  xxvii.  1  the 
allusion  is  to  the  king  and  tyrant  that 
ruled  in  Babylon,  as  compared  with 
a  dragon  or  fierce  animal.  Comp. 
Notes  on  that  passage,  and  Rev.  xii. 
Any  of  these  passages  will  accord 
well  with  the  supposition  that  the 
crocodile  is  denoted  by  the  word,  or 
that  some  fierce,  strong,  and  violent 
animal  that  could  involve  itself,  or 
that  had  the  appearance  of  an  extend- 
ed serpent,  is  referred  to.  The  re- 
semblance between  the  animal  here 
described  and  the  crocodile,  will  be 
farther  indicated  by  the  Notes  on  the 
particular  descriptions  in  the  chapter 


CHAPTER  XLI. 


283 


2  Canst  thou  put  an    hook 


a  Is.  37.  39. 


II  IVilh  nil  hook.  Implying  thai  the 
animal  liere  referred  to  was  aquatic, 
and  that  it  could  not  be  taken  in  the 
way  in  which  fish  were  usually 
caught.  It  is  known  now  that  the 
crocodile  is  occasionally  taken  with 
a  liook,  but  this  is  not  the  usual  me- 
tliod,  and  there  is  no  ev  idence  that  it 
was  pracii.-sed  in  the  time  of  Job. 
Herodotus  says  that  it  was  one  of  the 
methods  which  were  used  in  his  time. 
"Among  the  various  methods,"  says 
lie,  "  tlidt  are  used  to  take  the  croco- 
dile, I  shall  relate  only  one  which 
deserves  most  attention  ;  they  fi.\  a 
hook  {ayy.ioTOnv)  on  a  piece  of  svvine"s 
flesh,  and  suiler  it  to  float  into  the 
middle  of  the  stream.  On  the  banks 
they  have  a  live  hog,  which  they 
beat  till  it  cries  out.  The  crocodile, 
hearing  the  noise,  makes  towards  it, 
and  in  the  way  encounters  and  de- 
vours the  bait.  They  thus  draw  it 
on  shore,  and  the  first  thing  they  do 
is  to  fill  its  eyes  with  clay  ;  it  is  thus 
easily  nianagealde,  which  it  other- 
wise would  not  be."  B.ii.70.  "The 
manner  of  taking  it  in  Siam  is  by 
throwing  three  or  four  strong  nets 
across  a  river  at  proper  distances 
from  each  other,  so  tJiat  if  the  animal 
breaks  through  the  first,  it  may  be 
cauglit  by  one  of  the  rest.  When  it 
is  first  taken,  it  employs  the  tail, 
which  is  the  grand  instrument  of  its 
strength,  with  great  force  ;  but  after 
many  unsuccessful  struggles,  the  ani- 
mal's strength  is  at  length  exhausted. 
Then  the  natives  approach  their  pri- 
soner in  boats,  and  pierce  him  with 
their  weapons  in  the  most  tender 
parts,  till  he  is  weakened  with  the 
loss  of  blood."  Goldsmith.  From 
ancient  sculptures  in  Egypt,  it  ap- 
pears that  the  common  method  of 
attacking  the  crocodile  was  with  a 
spear,  transfi.xing  it  as  it  passed  be- 
neath the  boat  in  shallow  water. 
See  Wilkinson's  Manners  and  Cus- 
toms of  the  Ancient  Egyptians,  vol. 
iii.  p.  75,  scq.  The  most  common 
metliod  of  taking  the  crocodile  now 


aw 


into  his  nose?  or  bore  his  j 
through  with  a  thorn  1 

is  by  shooting  it.  Pocockc.  It  is 
quite  clear,  therefore,  that,  agreeably 
to  what  is  said  in  tlie  passage  before 
us,  the  common  method  of  taking  it 
was  not  by  a  hook,  and  it  is  probal)le 
that  in  the  time  of  Job  this  method 
was  not  practised.  H  Or  his  tongue 
with  a  cord  which  thou,  Icttcst  down. 
Or  rather,  '  Canst  thou  sink  his 
tongue  with  a  cord  .'" — that  is,  Canst 
tliou  tame  him  by  a  thong  or  bit 
thrust  into  his  mouth .''  Gesenius. 
The  idea  is  that  of  pressing  down  the 
tongue  with  a  cord,  so  that  he  would 
be  tractable. 

2.  Canst  thou  put  a  hook  into  his 
nose.  Or  rather,  a  rope,  or  cord. 
The  word  here  used  (TT^?2<)  means  a 
caldron,  or  kettle  (Job  xli.  20),  also 
a  reed,  or  bulrush,  growing  in  marshy 
places,  and  thus  a  rope  made  of  reeds, 
a  rush-cord.  Tlie  idea  is,  that  he 
could  not  be  led  about  by  a  cord,  as 
tame  animals  may  be.  Mr.  Vansit- 
tart,  however,  supposes  that  the 
words  here  are  expressive  of  orna- 
ments, and  that  the  allusion  is  to  the 
fact  mentioned  by  Herodotus,  that 
the  crocodile  was  led  about  by  the 
Egyptians  as  a  divinity,  and  that  in 
this  stale  it  was  adorned  with  rings 
and  various  stately  trappings.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  such  a  fact  ex- 
isted, but  this  does  not  accord  well 
with  the  scope  of  the  passage  here. 
The  object  is  to  impress  the  mind  of 
Job  with  a  sense  of  the  strength  and 
untamableness  of  the  animal,  not  to 
describe  the  honors  vyhich  were  paid 
to  it.  IT  Or  bore  his  jaw  through 
with  a.  thorn.  Or  with  a  ri7ig.  The 
word  here  properly  means  a  thorn,  or 
thorn-bush.  Job  xxxi.  40.  Prov.  xxvi. 
9  ;  and  then  also  a  ring  that  was  put 
through  the  nose  of  an  animal,  in 
order  to  secure  it.  The  instrument 
was  probably  made  sharp  like  a  thorn 
or  spike,  and  then  bent  so  as  to  be- 
come a  ring.  Comp.  Isa.  xxxvii.  29. 
3Ir.  Bruce,  speaking  of  the  manner 
of  fishing  in  the  Nile,  says  that  when 


284 


JOB. 


3  Will  he  make  many  suppli- 
cations unto  thee  1  will  he  speak 
soft  words  unto  thee  ? 

4  Will  he  make  a  covenant 
with  thee  ?  M'ilt  thou  take  him 
for  a  servant  for  ever  ? 

a  fisherman  lias  caught  a  fish,  he 
draws  it  to  the  shore,  and  puts  a 
strong  iron  ring  into  its  jaw.  To 
this  ring  is  fastened  a  rope  by  which 
the  fish  is  attached  to  the  shore, 
which  he  then  throws  again  into  the 
water.     RosciiniUllcr. 

3.  IVill  he  viiikc  many  supplications 
unto  thee?  In  tlie  manner  of  a  cap- 
tive begging  for  his  life.  That  is, 
Will  he  quietly  submit  to  you  .'  Prof. 
Lee  supposes  that  there  is  an  allusion 
here  to  the  well-known  cries  of  the 
dolphin  when  taken  ;  but  it  is  not 
necessary  to  suppose  such  an  allu- 
sion. The  idea  is,  that  the  animal 
here  referred  to  would  not  tamely 
submit  to  his  captor.  IT  Will  he  speak 
soft  words  unto  thee?  Pleading  for 
his  life  in  tones  of  tender  and  plaint- 
ive supplication. 

4.  Will  he  make  a,  corcnant  with 
thee?  That  is,  ^Vill  he  submit  him- 
self to  thee,  and  enter  into  a  compact 
to  serve  thee  .''  Such  a  compact  was 
made  by  those  who  agreed  to  serve 
another,  and  the  idea  here  is,  that 
the  animal  here  referred  to  could  not 
be  reduced  to  such  service — that  is, 
could  not  be  tamed.  IT  Wilt  thou  take 
him  for  a  servant  for  ever  ?  Canst 
thou  so  subdue  him  that  he  will  be  a 
perpetual  slave .'  The  meaning  of 
all  this  is,  that  he  was  an  untamable 
animal,  and  could  not  be  reduced  as 
many  others  could  to  domestic  use. 

5.  Wilt  thou  play  tcith  him  as  with 
a  bird  ?  A  bird  that  is  tamed.  The 
art  of  taming  birds  was  doubtless 
early  practised,  and  they  were  kept 
for  amusement.  But  the  leviathan 
could  not  thus  be  tamed.  IF  Or  wilt 
thou  bind  him  for  thy  maidens  ?  For 
their  amusement.  For  such  purpos- 
es, doubtless,  birds  were  caught  and 
caged.  There  is  great  force  in  this 
question,  on  itie  supposition  that  the 


5  Wilt  thou  play  with  him  as 
with  a  bird  ?  or  wilt  thou  bind 
him  for  thy  maidens  1 

6  Shall  thy  companions  make 
a  banquet  of  him  1  shall  they 
part  him  among  the  merchants  ? 

crocodile  is  intended.  Nothing  could 
be  more  incongruous  than  the  idea  of 
securing  so  rough  and  unsightly  a 
monster  for  the  amusement  of  tender 
and  delicate  females. 

6.  Shall  thy  companions  make  a 
banquet  of  him  ?  Tliis  is  one  of  the 
'  vexed  passages  '  about  wliich  there 
has  been  much  difference  of  opinion. 
Gesenius  renders  it,  "Do  the  com- 
panions (i.  e.  the  fishermen  in  com- 
pany) lay  snares  for  him  .■'"  So 
Noyes  renders  it.  Dr.  Harris  trans- 
lates it,  "  Shall  thy  partners  spread  a 
banquet  for  him  ?"  The  LXX  ren- 
der it,  "  Do  the  nations  feed  upon 
him  .'"  The  Vulgate,  "  Will  friends 
cut  him  up  ?"  that  is,  for  a  banquet. 
RosenmOllerrenders  it,  "  Will  friends 
feast  upon  him  .-'"  The  word  render- 
ed '  thy  companions  "  (^''^sri)  means 
properly  those  joined  or  associated 
together  for  any  purpose,  whether  for 
friendship  or  for  business.  It  may 
refer  here  either  to  those  associated 
for  the  purpose  of  fishing  or  ieasting. 
The  word  '  thy  '  is  improperly  intro- 
duced by  our  translators,  and  there  is 
no  evidence  that  the  reference  is  to 
the  companions  or  friends  of  Job,  as 
that  would  seem  to  suppose.  The 
word  rendered  '  make  a  banquet ' 
(nai)  is  from  iT^S,  kdrd,  to  dig,  and 
then  to  make  a  plot  or  device  against 
one — derived  from  the  fact  that  a  pit- 
fall was  dug  to  take  animals  (Ps.  vii. 
16,  Ivii.  7,  comp.  Job  vi.  27)  ;  and 
according  to  this  it  means,  '  Do  the 
companions,  i.  e.  the  fishermen  in 
company,  lay  snares  for  him  .'''  The 
word,  however,  has  another  signifi- 
cation, meaning  to  buy,  to  purchase, 
and  also  to  give  a  feast,  to  make  a 
banquet,  perhaps  from  the  idea  or 
purchasinir  tiie  provisions  necessary 
for    a    banquet.     According    to   this. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 


285 


7  Canst  thou  fill  his  skin  with 
barhed  irons  ?  or  his  head  with 
tish-spears  ? 

>  Lay  thine  hand  upon  him, 
rciiieuiber  the  battle,  do  no 
more. 

tlie  iiieaiiiiig  is,  'Do  the  conipanioiis, 
i.  e.  those  nssociated  lor  the  purpose 
ofteasting,  make  a  banquet  ot'him  ?' 
Which  is  the  true  sense  here  it  is 
not  easy  to  determine.  The  majority 
of  versions  incline  to  tlie  idea  tliat  it 
refers  to  a  feast,  and  means  that  those 
associated  for  eating  do  not  make  a 
part  of  their  entertainment  of  iiim. 
This  interpretation  is  tlie  most  sim- 
ple and  obvious.  IT  Shall  iheij  part 
him  among  the  merchants  ?  That  is, 
iSiiall  they  cut  liim  up  and  expose 
him  for  sale  ?  The  word  rendered 
'  merchants '  (^'^??;2i)  means  pro- 
perly Cnnaanites.  It  is  used  in  the 
sense  of  merchants,  or  traffickers,  be- 
cause tiie  Canaanites  were  connnonly 
engaged  in  this  employment.  See 
Notes  on  Isa.  xxiii.  8.  The  croco- 
dile is  never  made  a  part  of  a  ban- 
quet, or  an  article  of  tratTic. 

7.  Canst  thou  Jill  his  shiji  with 
barbed  irons  ?  Referring  to  its  thick- 
ness and  impenetrability.  A  com- 
mon method  of  taking  fish  is  by  the 
spear  ;  but  it  is  liere  said  that  the 
leviathan  could  not  be  caught  in  this 
manner.  The  com.mon  method  of 
taking  the  crocodile  now  is  by  shoot- 
ing him.  See  Notes  on  ver.  1.  No- 
thing is  more  remarkable  in  the  croco- 
dile than  the  thick  and  impenetrable 
skin  with  which  it  is  covered  ;  and 
tlie  description  here  will  agree  better 
with  this  animal  than  with  any  other. 
H  Or  his  head  with  fish-spears.  The 
word  here  rendered  '  fish-spears ' 
(3S3:i)  means  properly  a  tinkling, 
clanging,  as  of  metal  or  arms,  and 
then  any  tinkling  instrument.  Here 
it  evidently  refers  to  some  metal 
spear,  or  harpoon,  and  the  name  was 
given  to  the  instrument  on  account 
of  its  clanging  noise.  The  LXX 
render  this  strangely,  referring  it  to 


9  Behold,  the  hope  ol"  him  ia 
in  vain  :  shall  not  one  be  cast 
down  even  at  the  sight  of  him  ? 

10  None  is  so  fierce  that  dare 
stir  him  up  :  who  then  is  able  to 
stand  before  me  ? 


the  '  Plienicians,'  or  merchants  men- 
tioned in  the  previous  verse — "  With 
their  whole  fleet  they  could  not  carry 
the  first  skin  of  his  tail,  nor  his  head 
in  their  fishing-barks." 

8  Lay  thine  hand  upon  him.  Prof. 
Lee  renders  this,  very  improperly,  as 
it  seems  to  me,  "  Lay  thine  hand  on 
thy  mouth  respecting  him,"'  suppos- 
ing it  means  that  he  should  be  awed 
into  silence  by  dread  of  the  animal 
referred  to.  But  the  meaning  of  the 
passage  evidently  is,  'Endeavor  to 
seize  him  by  laying  the  hand  on  him, 
and  you  will  soon  desist  from  the 
fearful  conflict,  and  will  not  renew 
it.'  IT  Remember  the  battle.  Remem- 
ber what  a  fearful  conflict  will  ensue. 
Perhaps  there  is  an  allusion  to  son)e 
fact  fresh  in  tlie  raind  of  Job,  where 
such  an  attempt  had  been  made  to 
secure  the  leviathan,  attended  with 
fearful  disaster  to  those  who  had 
made  the  attempt.  U  Do  no  more. 
Or  rather,  '  Thou  wilt  not  do  it 
again."  That  is,  he  would  be  deter- 
red from  ever  renewing  the  attempt, 
or,  the  conflict  would  be  fiital  to  him. 

9.  Behold,  the  hope  of  him  is  in  vain. 
That  is,  the  hope  of  taking  him  is 
vain.  IF  Shall  not  one  be  cast  down 
even  at  the  sight  of  him  ?  So  formi- 
dable is  his  appearance,  that  the 
courage  of  him  who  would  attack 
him  is  daunted,  and  his  resolution 
fails.  This  agrees  well  also  with  the 
crocodile.  There  is  perhaps  scarcely 
any  animal  whose  appearance  would 
be  more  likely  to  deter  one  from 
attacking  him. 

10.  Ji'onc  is  so  fierce  that  dare  stir 
him  up.  No  one  has  courage  to 
rouse  and  provoke  him.  H  Who  then 
is  able  to  stand  before  me  ?  Tlie 
meaning  of  this  is  plain.  It  is,  'If 
one  of  my  creatures  is  so  formidable 
that  man  dare  not  attack  it,  how  can 


286 


JOB. 


11  Who*  hath  prevented  me, 

a  Ro.  11.  35.  6  Es.  ]9.  5.  De.  10.  14.  Ps. 

5L  17.  Je.  .^1.  19.  Ja.  4.  10. 

he  contend  with  the  great  Creator  ? 
This  may  perliaps  be  designed  as  a 
reproof  of  Job.  He  had  expressed  a 
desire  to  carry  his  cause  before  God, 
and  to  urge  argument  before  him  in 
vindication  of  himself.  God  here 
shows  liim  how  iiopeless  must  be  a 
contest  with  the  Ahnighty.  Man 
trembles  and  is  disarmed  of  his  cour- 
age by  even  the  sight  of  one  of  the 
creatures  of  God.  Overpowered  with 
fear,  he  retires  from  the  contemplated 
contest,  and  flees  away.  How  tiien 
could  he  presume  to  contend  with 
God  '  What  hope  could  he  have  in 
a  contest  with  him  ? 

11.  fVho  hath  prevented  weP  As 
this  verse  is  here  rendered,  its  mean- 
ing, and  the  r«ason  why  it  is  intro- 
duced, are  not  very  apparent.  It 
almost  looks,  indeed,  as  if  it  were  an 
interpolation,  or  had  been  introduced 
from  some  other  place,  and  torn  from 
its  proper  connection.  J^r.  Harris 
proposes  to  remove  the  principal  diffi- 
culty by  translating  it, 

"  Who  will  stand  before  me,  yea  presorap- 
tuously .' 

Whatsoever  is  beneath  the  whole  heaven  is 
mina. 

I  cannot  be  confounded  at  hia  limbs  and  vio- 
lence,       *» 

Nor  at  hia  power,  or  the  strength  of  his 
frame," 

It  may  be  doubted,  however,  whether 
the  original  will  admit  of  this  transla- 
tion. Rosenmiiller,  Umbreit,  and 
Noyes,  unite  in  supposing  the  mean- 
ing to  be,  '  Who  has  done  me  a  favor, 
that  I  must  repay  him  ?'  But  per- 
haps the  true  idea  of  the  passage 
may  be  arrived  at  by  adverting  to  the 
meaning  of  the  word  rendered  '  pre- 
vented ' — ^1)^.  It  properly  means 
in  Piel,  to  go  before  ;  to  precede  ;  to 
anticipate.  Pa.  xvii.  13,  cxix.  143. 
Then  it  means  to  rush  upon  sudden- 
ly ;  to  seize  ;  to  go  to  meet  any  one 
either  for  succor,  Ps.  lix.  11,  or  for  a 
different  purpose.  Isa.  xxxvii.  33, 
"No  shield   shall   come  up    against 


that  I  should  repay  him  ?  what- 
soever is  under  the  whole  heaven 


her"  (HSia^p'^)  i.  e.  against  the  city 
So  Job  xx'x!  2t,  "  The  days  of  nlWic- 
tion  prevented  me."  A  similar  mean- 
ing occurs  in  the  Hiphil  form  in  "> 
Amos  ix.  10,  "  The  evil  shall  not 
overtake  us  nor  prevent  us  ;"  that  is, 
shall  not  rush  upon  as  if  by  antici- 
pation, or  when  we  are  off  our  guard. 
If  some  idea  of  this  kind  be  supposed 
to  be  conveyed  by  the  word  here,  it 
will  probably  express  the  true  sense. 
'  Who  is  able  to  seize  upon  me  sud- 
denly, or  when  I  am  off  my  guard  ; 
to  anticipate  my  watchfulness  and 
my  power  of  resistance  so  as  to  com- 
pel me  to  recompense  him,  or  so  to 
overmaster  me  as  to  lay  me  under 
obligation  to  confer  on  him  the  favors 
which  he  demands  .''  There  may  be 
an  allusion  to  the  manner  in  which 
wild  beasts  are  taken,  when  the 
hunter  springs  his  gin  suddenly,  an- 
ticipates the  power  of  the  animal, 
rushes  unexpectedly  upon  him,  and 
compels  him  to  yield.  God  says  that 
no  one  could  thus  surprise  and  over- 
power him.  Thus  explained,  the 
sentiment  agrees  with  the  argument 
which  the  Ahnighty  is  presenting 
He  is  showing  his  riglit  to  reign  and 
do  all  his  pleasure.  He  appeals,  in 
proof  of  this,  to  his  great  and  mighty 
works,  and  especially  to  those  speci- 
mens of  the  animal  creation  which 
vian  could  not  tame  or  overcome. 
The  argument  is  this  :  '  If  man  can- 
not surprise  and  subdue  these  crea- 
tures of  the  Almighty,  and  compel 
them  to  render  him  service,  how  can 
he  expect  to  constrain  the  Creator 
himself  to  be  tributary  to  him,  or  to 
grant  him  tlie  favors  which  he  de- 
mands ?'  U  Whatsoever  is  under  the 
icholc  heaven  is  mine.  That  is,  '  All 
belong  to  me  ;  all  are  subject  to  me  ; 
all  are  mine,  to  be  conferred  on  whom 
I  please.  No  one  can  claim  them  as 
his  own  ;  no  one  can  wrest  them 
from  me.'  This  claim  to  the  propri 
etorship  of  all  created  things,  is  de- 
signed htre  to  show  to  Job  that  over 


CHAPTER  XLI. 


287 


12  I  will  not  conceal  his  parts, 
nor  his  power,  nor  his  comely 
proportion. 

13  Who  can  discover  the  face 
of  his    garment  ?    or    who    can 


a  Being  ilius  supreme  man  could  ex- 
ert HO  control.  It  is  his  duty,  tiiere- 
fore,  to  submit  to  liim  without  a  niur- 
niur,  and  to  receive  with  gratitude 
what  he  ciiooses  to  confer. 

\2.  I  icilL  not  coucr.id  his  parts. 
Tliis  is  the  commencement  of  a  more 
particular  description  of  the  animal 
than  had  been  before  given.  In  the 
previous  part  of  the  chapter,  the  re- 
marks are  general,  speaking  of  it 
merely  as  one  of  great  power,  and 
not  to  be  taken  by  any  of  tlie  ordina- 
ry methods.  A  description  follows 
of  the  various  parts  of  tlie  animal,  all 
tending  to  contirm  this  general  im- 
pression, and  to  fill  the  hearer  with  a 
deep  conviction  of  his  formidable 
character.  The  words  rendered  '  I 
will  not  conceal  '  mean  '  I  will  not 
be  silent ;'  that  is,  he  would  speak  of 
them.  The  description  which  fol- 
lows of  the  '  parts  '  of  tlie  animal, 
refers  particularly  to  his  mouth,  his 
teeth,  his  scales,  his  eyelids,  his  nos- 
trils, his  neck,  and  his  heart.  II  jXor 
his  comely  proportion.  The  crocodile 
is  not  an  object  of  beauty,  and  tlie 
animal  described  here  is  not  spoken 
of  as  one  of  beauty,  but  as  one  of 
great  power  and  fierceness.  The 
phrase  here  used  (^S'lV.  'T!)  nieans 
properly  'the  grace  of  his  armature,' 
or  the  beauty  of  his  armor.  It  does 
not  refer  to  the  beauty  of  the  animal 
as  such,  but  to  the  armor  or  defence 
which  it  had.  Though  there  might 
be  no  beauty  in  an  animal  like  tlie 
one  here  described,  yet  there  might 
be  a  '  grace  '  or  fitness  in  its  means  of 
defence  which  could  not  fail  to  attract 
admiration.  This  is  the  idea  in  the 
passage.  So  Gesenius,  Umbreit,  and 
Noyes  render  it. 

13.  Who  can  discern  the  face  of  his 
garment  ?  Literally,  '  Who  can  re- 
veal the  face,  i.  e.  the  appearance,  of 


come  to  him   '  with    his  double 
bridle? 

14  Who  can  open  the  doors 
of  his  face  ?  his  teeth  are  terrible 
round  about. 


his  garment?'  This  'garment'  is 
undoubtedly  his  skin.  The  meaning 
seems  to  be,  '  His  hard  and  rough 
skin  is  Iiis  defence,  and  no  one  (;an 
so  strip  ofi'  that  as  to  have  access  to 
liim.'  Tlie  word  rendered  'disco- 
ver' (^^?)  means  to  make  naked; 
then  to  reveal  ;  and  the  idea  is,  that 
he  cannot  be  made  naked  of  that 
covering,  or  deprived  of  it  so  that 
one  could  attack  him.  IT  Or  tcho  can 
come  to  him  leith  his  double  bridle  ? 
Marg.  loithin.  Gesenius  renders  this, 
"  The  doubling  of  his  jaws  ;"  that  is, 
his  double  row  of  teeth.  Umbreit, 
"  His  double  bit."  Noyes,  "  Who 
will  approach  his  jaws.'"  So  Rosen- 
mUller.  Schultens  and  Prof.  Lee, 
however,  suppose  it  means  that  no 
one  can  come  near  to  him  and  doable 
the  bit  upon  him,  i.  e.  cast  the  bit  or 
noose  over  his  nose,  so  as  to  secure 
him  by  doubling  it,  or  passing  it 
around  him.  The  former  seems  to 
me  to  be  the  true  meaning.  '  Into 
the  doubling  of  his  jaws,  who  can 
enter  .■''  That  is.  Who  will  dare 
approach  a  double  row  of  teeth  so 
formidable  ?  The  word  rendered 
'  bridle  '  (l^*!))  means  properly  a  curb 
or  halter,  which  goes  over  a  horse's 
nose,  and  hence  a  bit  or  bridle.  But 
it  may  be  used  to  denote  the  interior 
of  the  mouth,  the  jaws,  where  the  bit 
is  placed,  and  then  the  phrase  de- 
notes the  double  row  of  teeth  of  the 
animal.  Thus  the  description  of  the 
'  parts  of  defence  '  of  the  animal  is 
kept  up. 

14.  JVho  can  open  the  doors  of  his 
face?  His  mouth.  The  same  term 
is  still  used  to  denote  the  mouth — 
from  its  resemblance  to  a  door.  The 
idea  is,  that  no  one  would  dare  to 
force  open  his  mouth.  This  agrees 
better  witli  the  crocodile  than  almost 
any  other  animal.     It  would  not  ap- 


288 


JOB. 


15  His  scales  ^  are  his  pride, 
shut  up  together  as  with  a  close 
seal. 

16  One  is  so  near  to  another, 
that  no  air  can  come  between 
them. 

1  strong  pieces  of  shields. 


ply  to  the  wJiale.  The  crocodile  is 
armed  with  a  more  formidable  set  of 
teeth  than  almost  any  other  animal. 
See  the  description  in  the  Notes  on 
ver.  1.  Bochart  says  that  it  has  sixty 
teeth,  and  those  much  larger  than  in 
proportion  to  the  size  of  the  body. 
Some  of  them,  he  says,  stand  out ; 
some  of  them  are  serrated,  or  like  a 
saw,  fitting  into  each  other  when  the 
mouth  is  closed  ;  and  some  come  to- 
gether in  the  manner  of  a  comb,  so 
that  the  grasp  of  the  animal  is  very 
tenacious  and  fearful.  See  a  full  de- 
scription in  Bochart. 

15.  His  sca/es  are  his/^rtWe.  Marg. 
strong  "pieces  of  shields.  The  literal 
translation  of  this  would  be,  'Pride, 
the  strong  of  shields  ;'  that  is,  the 
strong  shields.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  there  is  reference  to  the 
scales  of  the  animal,  as  having  a 
resemblance  to  strong  shields  laid 
close  to  each  other.  But  there  is 
considerable  variety  of  opinion  as  to 
its  meaning.  Umbreit  and  Prof.  Lee 
take  the  word  here  rendered  '  pride  ' 
(ni>^5)  to  be  the  same  as  (f^|l?),  back, 
and  then  the  meaning  would  be  that 
his  back  was  armed  as  with  a  sliield 
— referring,  as  Prof.  Lee  supposes,  to 
the  dorsal  fin  of  the  whale.  But 
there  is  no  necessity  for  this  supposi- 
tion, and  it  cannot  be  denied  that  it 
is  somewhat  forced.  The  connection 
requires  that  we  should  understand 
It,  not  of  the  dorsal  fin,  but  of-the 
scales  ;  for  a  description  immediately 
follows  in  continuation  of  this,  which 
will  by  no  means  apply  to  the  fin. 
The  obvious  and  proper  meaning  is, 
that  the  pride  or  glory  of  the  animal 
— that  on  which  his  safety  depended, 
and  which  was  the  most  remarkable 
thing  about  him — was  his  scales, 
which  were    laid    together   like    firm 


17  Tiiey  are  joined  one  to 
another,  they  stick  together  that 
they  cannot  be  sundered. 

18  By  his  neesings  a  light 
doth  shine,  and  his  eyes  m-c  like 
the  eyelids  of  the  morning. 


and  compact  shields,  so  that  nothing 
could  penetrate  them.  This  descrip- 
tion accords  better  with  the  crocodile 
than  with  any  other  animal.  It  is 
covered  with  scales,  "  which  are  so 
hard  as  to  resist  a  musket-ball."  Eel. 
Encij.  The  description  cannot  be 
applied  to  a  whale,  which  has  no 
scales  ;  and  accordingly  Prof.  Lee 
supposes  that  the  reference  in  this 
verse  and  the  two  follov-Jngis  not  to 
the  scales,  but  to  the  leetli,  and  to 
"the  setting  in  of  the  dorsal  fin  !" 
IT  Shut  up  together.  Made  close  or 
compact.  H  As  with  a  close  seal. 
As  if  they  had  been  sealed  with  wax, 
so  that  no  air  could  come  between 
them. 

17.  They  are  joined  one  to  another. 
Literall}^  'A  man  with  his  brother  ;' 
that  is,  each  one  is  connected  with 
another.  There  is  no  natural  fasten- 
ing of  one  scale  with  another,  but 
they  lie  so  close  and  compact  that 
they  seem  thus  to  be  fastened  down 
on  one  another.  See  Bochart  on  tliis 
verse.  It  is  this  which  makes  the 
crocodile  so  difficult  to  be  killed.  A 
musket-ball  will  penetrate  the  skin 
under  the  belly,  which  is  tliere  less 
firmly  protected  ;  and  accordingly 
the  effbrts  of  those  who  attempt  to 
secure  them  are  directed  to  that  part 
of  the  body.  A  ball  in  the  eye  or 
throat  will  also  destroy  it,  but  the 
body  is  impervious  to  a  spear  or  a 
bullet. 

18.  By  his  neesings  a  light  doth 
shine.  The  word  rendered  '  neesings ' 
means  properly  sneezing,  and  tlie 
literal  sense  here  would  be,  '  His 
sneezings,  light  shines.'  Coverdale 
renders  it,  'His  nesinge  is  like  a 
glisteringe  fyre.'  Bochart  says  \\\:iX 
the  meaning  is,  "that  when  tlie  cro- 
codile   sneezes,  the  breath   i.^  driven 


CHAPTER  XLI. 


289 


19  Out  of  his  mouth  go  burn- 
ing lamps,  and  sparks  of  fire  leap 
out. 


througli  the  nostrils  with  such  iince 
tliat  it  seems  to  sointiUate,  or  emit 
fire."  Prohahly  tlie  meaning  is,  tliat 
wlien  tlie  animal  emits  a  sudden 
sound,  like  sneezing,  the  fire  seems 
to  flash  from  the  eye.  There  is  some 
quiik  and  raj)id  motion  of  the  eyes, 
vvliich  in  the  rays  of  tlie  sun  seem  to 
flash  fire.  The  sneezing  of  the  croc- 
odile is  mentioned  by  Aristotle.  Prof. 
Lee.  Amj)liihious  animals,  the  long- 
er they  hold  tiieir  breath  under  wa- 
ter, respire  so  much  the  more  vio- 
lently when  they  emerge,  and  the 
breath  is  expelled  suddenly  and  with 
violence.  Schultcns.  This  is  tlie 
action  here  referred  to — the  strong 
eflbrt  of  the  animal  to  recover  breath 
when  he  rises  to  the  surface,  and 
when  in  tlie  effort  the  eyes  seem  to 
scintillate,  or  emit  light.  IT  And  his 
cijcs  are  lilce  the  eyelids  of  the  morn- 
ing. The  '  eyelids  of  the  morning  ' 
is  a  beautiful  poetic  phrase  quite  com- 
mon in  Hebrew  poetry.  The  eyes 
of  the  crocodile  are  small,  but  they 
are  remarkable.  When  he  lills  his 
head  above  water,  his  staring  eyes 
are  the  first  things  that  strike  the 
beholder,  and  may  then  with  great 
beauty  be  compared  with  the  morn- 
ing light.  There  is  a  remarkable 
coincidence  here,  in  the  fact  that 
when  the  Egyptians  would  represent 
the  morning  by  a  hieroglyphic,  they 
painted  a  crocodile's  eye.  The  rea- 
son assigned  for  this  was,  that  before 
the  whole  body  of  the  animal  ap- 
peared, the  eyes  seemed  to  rise  from 
the  deep.  See  Bochart  on  the  pas- 
sage, Hieroz.,  and  also  Horapollo, 
Hieroglyph,  i.  c.  65. 

19.  Out  of  his  mouth  go  burning 
lamps.  The  word  'lamps'  here  is 
probably  used  to  denote  torches,  or 
fire-brands.  The  animal  is  here  de- 
scribed as  in  pursuit  of  his  prey  on 
land  ;  and  the  description  is  exceed- 
ingly graphic  and  powerful.  His 
rriouth    is  then  open  ;  his  jaws    are 

vol..  n.  ]^ 


20  Out  of  his  nostrils  goetli 
smoke,  as  out  of  a  seething-pot 
or  caldron. 


distended  ;  his  breath  is  thrown  out 
with  great  violence  ;  liis  blood  is  • 
inflamed,  and  the  animal  seems  to 
vomit  forth  flames.  The  descrip 
tion  is  of  course  to  be  regarded  as 
figurative.  It  is  such  as  one  would 
be  likely  to  give  who  should  see  a 
fierce  animal  pressing  on  in  pursuit  of 
its  prey.  IT  And  sparhs  of  fire  leap 
out.  There  is  an  appearance  like 
sparks  of  fire.  Tlie  animal,  with  an 
open  throat  highly  inflamed,  seems 
to  breathe  forth  flames.  The  figure 
is  a  common  one  applied  to  a  war- 
horse.     Thus  Ovid  : 

"  From  their  full  racks  the  generous  steeds 
retire, 
Dropping  ambrosial  foam  and  snorting  fire. 
Db.  Good. 

The  same  thing  is  remarked  by 
Achilles  Tatius,  of  the  hippopotamus 
"  With  open  nostrils,  and  breathing 
smoke  like  fire  [nx'ouifSrf  y.anvov)  as 
from  a  fountain  of  fire.''  And  in 
Eustathius  it  is  said,  "  They  have  an 
open  nostril,  breathing  forth  smoke 
like  fire  from  a  furnace  " — TTVQwSr} 
xanvov,  ax;  tx  y.a.filvov  nveovta.  See 
Bochart. 

20.  Out  of  his  nostrils  goeth  smoke. 
See  the  quotations  on  ver.  19.  This 
appearance  of  the  crocodile,  or  alli- 
gator, has  been  often  noticed.  Ber- 
tram, in  his  Travels  in  jYorth  arid 
South  Carolina,  p.  116,  says,  "  While 
I  was  seeking  a  place  of  rest,  I  en- 
countered an  alligator  that  in  the 
neighboring  lake  rushed  through  the 
canes  that  grew  on  its  banks.  He 
inflated  his  enormous  body,  and 
swung  his  tail  high  in  the  air.  A 
thick  smoke  streamed  from  his  wide- 
open  nostrils,  with  a  sound  that  made 
tlie  earth  tremble."  RosenmOller, 
Jilte  u.  ncuc  Morgenland,  No.  778. 
IT  As  out  of  a  seething-pot.  A  pot 
that  is  boiling.  Literally,  '  a  blown 
pot ;'  that  is,  a  pot  under  which  the 
fire  is  blown,  or  kindled.  IT  Or  cal- 
dron.    Any  kettle.     The  same  word 


290 


JOB. 


2J  His  breath  kindleth  coals, 
and  a  flame  goeth  out  of  his 
mouth. 

-  22  In  his  neck  remaineth 
strength,  and  sorrow  '  is  turned 
into  joy  before  him. 

1  rejoiceib.  2  fallings. 


is  used  to  denote  a  reed  or  bulrush, 
or  a  rope  made  of  reeds.  Isa.  ix.  13. 
Job  xli.  2. 

21.  His  breath  kindleth  coals.  It 
seems  to  be  a  flame,  and  to  set  on 
fire  all  around  it.  So  Hesiod,  Theog. 
i.  319,  describing  the  creation  of  the 
Chimera,  speaks  of  it  as 

wiovcav  OLjiaijiiiKtTov  ■nvp. 

"  breathing  unquenchable  fire."  So 
Virgil,  Georg.  ii.  140  : 

Heec  loca  non  tauri  spirantes  naribus  ignem 
InvcrtLre. 

"  Bulls  breathing  fire  these  furrows  ne'er  have 
known.  Warton. 

A  similar  phrase  is  found  in  a  sub- 
lime description  of  the  anger  of  the 
Almighty,  in  P.s.  xviii.  8  : 

There  went  up  a  smoke  out  of  his  nostrils, 
And  fire  out  of  his  mouth  devoured: 
Coals  were  kindlrd  by  it. 

22.  In  his  neck  remaineth  strength. 
That  is,  strength  is  permanently  re- 
siding there.  It  is  not  assumed  for 
the  moment,  but  his  neck  is  so  con- 
structed as  to  be  the  abode  of  strength. 
The  word  here  rendered  '  remainelli ' 
("pPlI),  means  properly  to  pass  the 
night  ;  then  to  abide  or  dwell  ;  and 
there  is  a  designed  contrast  here  with 
what  is  said  of  '  sorrow  '  in  this  verse. 
This  description  of  strength  residing 
in  the  neck,  ngrees  well  with  tlie 
crocodile.  See  the  figure  of  tiie  ani- 
mal on  p.  282.  It  is  not  easy,  how- 
ever, to  see  how  this  is  applicable  to 
the  whale,  as  Prof  Lee  supposes. 
The  whale  is  endowed,  indeed,  with 
great  strength,  as  Prof.  Lee  has 
shown,  but  that  strength  is  manifest- 
ed mainly  by  the  stroke  of  the  tail. 
TI  And  sorrow  is  turned  into  joy  before 
him.  Marg.  rejoiceth.  The  proper 
meaning    of    the    word     here     used 


23  The  ■"  flakes  of  his  flesh  are 
joined  together  :  they  are  firm  in 
themselves  ;  they  cannot  be  mov- 
ed. 

24  His  heart  is  as  firm  as  a 
stone  ;  yea,  as  hard  as  a  piece  of 
the  nether  millstone. 

(JJ1"irij  is  to  dance,  to  leaj>,  to  skip  ; 
and  the  sense  is,  that  '  terror  dances 
before  him.'  It  does  not  refer  to  the 
motion  of  the  animal,  as  if  he  were 
brisk  and  rapid,  but  it  is  a  poetic 
expression,  as  if  terror  played  or 
pranced  along  wherever  he  came. 
Strength  resided  in  his  neck,  but  his 
approach  made  terror  and  alarm  play 
before  him  wherever  he  went ;  that 
is,  produced  terror  and  dread.  In 
his  neck  is  permanent,  calm  strength  ; 
before  him,  every  thing  trembles  and 
is  agitated.  The  beauty  of  the  pas- 
sage lies  in  this  contrast  between  the 
strength  and  firmness  which  repose 
calmly  in  the  neck  of  the  animal, 
and  tlie  consternation  which  he  every 
where  j)i-oduces,  causing  all  to  trem- 
ble as  he  approaches.  Bochart  has 
well  illustrated  this  from  the  classic 
writers. 

23.  The  flakes  of  his  flesh  are  joined 
together.  Marg.  fallings.  The  He- 
brew word  here  used  means  an}-  thing 

fallin  .■■,  or  pendulous,  and  the  refer- 
ence ere  is,  probably,  to  the  pendu- 
lous parts  of  the  flesh  of  the  animal  ; 
the  flabby  parts  ;  the  dew-laps.  In 
animals  commonly  tliese  ])arts  about 
the  neck  and  belly  are  soft,  pendu- 
lous, and  contribute  little  to  their 
strength.  Tiie  meaning  here  is,  that 
in  the  leviathan,  instead  of  being 
thus  flabby  and  pendulous,  thev  were 
compact  and  firm.  This  is  strikingly 
true  of  the  crocodile.  Tlie  bellv  is, 
indeed,  more  soft  and  penetrable  than 
the  other  parts  of  the  body,  but  there 
is  nothing  like  the  soft  and  pendu- 
lous dew-laps  of  most  animals. 

24.  His  heart  is  as  firm  as  a  stone. 
As  hard  ;  as  solid.  Bochart  remarks 
that  the  word  heart  here  is  not  to  be 
regarded   as  denoting  the  courage  of 

'  the  animal,  as  it  sometimes  does,  but 


CHAPTER  XLI. 


291 


25  When  lie  raiseth  up  him- 
self, the  mighty  are  afraid ;  by 
reason  of  breakings  they  purify 
themselves. 


I  lie  heart  literally.  The  statement 
occurs  in  the  description  of  the  va- 
rious parts  of  the  animal,  and  the  ob- 
ect  is  to  show  that  there  was  peculiar 
firmness  or  solidity  in  every  one  of 
his  members.  There  is  peculiar  firm- 
ne.ss  or  strength  needed  in  the  hearts 
of  .all  animals,  to  enable  them  to  pro- 
pel the  blood  through  the  arteries  of 
the  body  ;  and  in  an  animal  of  the 
size  of  the  crocodile,  it  is  easy  to  see 
th;it  tlie  heart  must  be  made  capable 
of  exerting  vast  force.  Buttliere  is  no 
reason  to  suppose  that  the  atfirmation 
here  is  jnade  on  the  supposition  that 
there  is  need  of  extraordinary  strength 
in  the  heart  to  propel  the  blood.  The 
doctrine  of  the  circulation  of  the 
blood  was  not  then  knov.n  to  man- 
kind, and  it  is  to  be  presumed  that 
llie  argument  here  would  be  based  on 
what  was  known,  or  what  might  be 
easily  observed.  The  presumption 
therefore  is,  that  the  statement  here 
is  based  on  what  had  been  seen  of  the 
remarkable  coMi}>actness  and  firmness 
of  the  heart  of  the  animal  here  refer- 
red to.  Probably  there  was  nothing 
so  peculiar  in  the  heart  of  the  croco- 
dile that  this  description  would  be 
applicable  to  that  animal  alone,  but 
it  is  such  doubtless  as  would  apply  to 
tlie  heart  of  any  animal  of  extraordi- 
nary size  and  strength.  Iil  1>«,  as 
hard  as  apiece  of  the  nether  millstone. 
The  mills  commonly  used  in  ancient 
times  were  hand-mills.  See  a  de- 
scription of  them  in  the  Notes  on 
Matth.  xxiv.  41.  IVhij  tlie  lower 
stone  was  the  hardest,  is  not  quite 
apparent.  Perhaps  a  more  solid 
stone  might  have  been  chosen  for 
tliis,  becausa  it  was  supposed  that 
there  was  more  wear  on  the  lower 
than  the  upper  stone,  or  because  its 
weight  would  make  the  machine 
more  solid  and  steady. 

25.    IVhcn    he    raiseth    vp    himself. 
VVlien  he  rouses  himself  for  an  attack 


2G  The  sword  of  him  that  lay-. 
eth  at  him  cannot  hold  ;  the 
spear,  tlie  dart,  nor  the  '  haber- 
geon. 

1  or,  breastplate. 


or  in  self-defence.  IT  The  mighty  are 
afraid.  The  Vulgate  renders  this 
'■'■  aiigfils."  The  meaning  is,  that  he 
produces  alarm  on  those  who  are 
unaccustomed  to  fear.  II  By  reason 
of  brcahiv.tfs  they  petrify  themselves. 
This,  though  a  literal  translation, 
conveys  no  very  clear  idea,  and  this 
rendering  is  not  necessary.  The 
word  rendered  'breakings'  ("tS^^) 
means  properly  a  breaking,  breach, 
puncture  ;  a  breaking  down,  destruc- 
tion ;  and  then  it  may  mean  a  break- 
iiin-  dotcn  of  the  mind,  i.  e.  terror. 
Tills  is  evidently  the  meaning  here. 
'By  reason  of  the  prostration  of  their 
courage,  or  the  crushing  of  the  mind 
by  alarm.'  The  word  rendered  'pu- 
rify themselves  '  C^-Jv;)  means  in  Kal 
to  miss,  as  a  mark  ;  to  sin  ;  to  err. 
In  the  form  of  Hithpael,  which  oc- 
curs here,  it  means  to  miss  one's 
way  ;  to  lose  one's  self ;  and  it  may 
refer  to  the  astonishment  and  terror 
b}^  which  one  is  led  to  miss  his  way 
in  precipitate  flight.  Gcstnius.  The 
meaning  then  is,  '  They  lose  them- 
selves from  terror.'  They  know  not 
where  to  turn  tlien;sul\-es  ;  they  flee 
away  with  alarm.  i?ee  Rosenmiiller 
in.  Ivc. 

26.    Tlie  sword  of  him,  that  layeth  at 

him.  The  word  '  sword  '  here  (-":n) 
means  undoubtedly  harpoon,  or  a 
sharp  instrument  by  which  an  at- 
tempt is  made  to  pierce  the  skin  of 
the  monster.  H  Cannot  hold.  That 
is,  in  the  hard  skin.  It  does  not 
p  netrate  it.  IT  The  spear,  the  dart. 
These  were  doubtless  often  used  in 
the  attempt  to  take  the  animal.  The 
meaning  is,  that  they  Would  not  hold 
or  stick  to  the  animal.  They  flew 
off  when  hurled  at  him.  IT  JVor  the- 
habergeon.  Marg.  hrtastjAate.  Noyes, 
jarelin.  Prof.  Lee,  lance.  Vulg , 
thorax,  breastplate.  So  the  LXX, 
&o')octy.ct.         The    word     here    used 


292 


JOB. 


27  He  esteemeth  iron  as  straw, 
and  brass  as  rotten  wood. 

28  Tlie  arrow  cannot  make 
him  flee  :  sling-stones  are  turned 
with  him  into  stubble. 

29  Darts  are  counted  as  stub- 

(rs-iltti),  tlie  same  as  "(I'^lia  (1  Sam. 
xvn.'  5,  38.  Nah.  iv.  10.  2  Chrcn. 
xxvi.  14),  means  properly  a  coat  of 
viail,  and  is  so  called  from  its  shining 
— from  •^'^^,  to  shine.  It  is  not  used 
in  the  sense  of  spear  or  javelin  else- 
where, though  perhaps  it  maj'  have 
that  meaning  here — denoting  a  bright 
or  shining  weapon.  This  agrees  best 
with  the  connection. 

27.  He  esteemeth  iron  as  straic.  He 
regards  instruments  made  of  iron  and 
brass  as  if  they  were  straw  or  rotten 
wood.  That  is,  they  make  no  im- 
pression on  him.  This  will  agree 
better  with  the  crocodile  than  any 
other  animal.  So  hard  is  his  skin, 
that  a  musket-ball  will  not  penetrate 
it.  See  numerous  quotations  proving 
the  hardness  of  the  skin  of  the  croco- 
dile, in  Bochart. 

28.  The  arrow.  Heb.  'the  son  of 
the  bow.'  So  Lam.  iii.  13,  margin. 
This  use  of  the  word  son  is  common 
in  the  Scriptures  and  in  all  Oriental 
poetry.  TF  Sling-stones.  The  sling 
was  early  used  in  war  and  in  hunting, 
and  by  skill  and  practice  it  could  be 
so  employed  as  to  be  a  formidable 
weapon.  See  Judges  x.\.  16.  1  Sam. 
xvii.  40,  49.  As  one  of  the  weapons 
of  attack  on  a  foe  it  is  mentioned 
here,  though  there  is  no  evidence 
that  the  sling  was  ever  actually  used 
in  endeavoring  to  destroy  the  croco- 
dile. The  meaning  is,  that  all  the 
common  weapons  used  by  men  in 
attacking  an  enemy  had  no  effect  on 
him.  IT  Are  turned  with  him  into  stub- 
hie.  Produce  no  more  effect  on  him 
than  it  would  to  throw  stubble  at  liim. 

29  Darts  arc  counted  as  stubble. 
The  word  rendered  '  darts  '  (Piniin) 
occurs  nowhere  else  in  the  Scriptures. 
It  is  from  nr?^,  obs.  root,  to  beat  with 
a   club.      The    word    hero    probably 


ble  ;  he  laugheth  at  the  shaking 
of  a  spear. 

30  Sharp  '  stones  are  under 
him  :  he  spreadeth  sharp  pointed 
things  upon  the  mire. 

1  pieces  of  potsherd. 


means  clubs.  Darts  and  spears  are 
mentioned  before,  and  the  object 
seems  to  be  to  enumerate  all  the  usual 
instruments  of  attack.  The  singular 
is  used  here  with  a  plural  verb  in  a 
collective  sense. 

30.  Sharp  stones  are  under  him. 
]\Iarg.  as  in  Heb.,  ^pieces  of  potsherd.' 
The  Hebrew  word  C^^'^r\Jthdddudh), 
means  sharp,  pointed  ,  and  the  phrase 
here  used  means  the  sharp  points  of 
a  potsherd,  or  broken  pieces  of  earth- 
enware. The  reference  is,  undoubt- 
edly, to  the  scales  of  the  animal 
which  were  rough  and  pointed,  like 
the  broken  pieces  of  earthenware. 
This  description  would  not  agree 
with  the  whale,  and  indeed  will  ac 
cord  with  no  other  animal  so  well  as 
with  the  crocodile.  The  meaning  is, 
that  the  under  parts  of  his  body,  with 
which  he  rests  upon  the  mire,  are 
made  up  of  sharp,  pointed  things, 
like  broken  pottery.  IT  He  spreadeth 
sharp  pointed  things  vj)on  the  mire. 
That  is,  when  he  rests  or  stretches 
himself  on  tlie  mud  or  slime  of  the 
bank  of  the  river.  The  word  here 
used  and  rendered  '  sharp  pointed 
things  '  (^^"^rj)  means  properly  some- 
thing cut  in;  then  something  sharp- 
ened or  pointed  ;  and  is  used  to  de- 
note a  threshing  sledge.  See  this 
instrument  described  in  Notes  on 
Isa.  xxviii.  27,  28,  xli.  15.  It  is  not 
certain,  however,  that  there  is  any 
allusion  here  to  that  instrument.  It 
is  rather  to  any  thing  that  is  rough  or 
pointed,  and  refers  to  the  lower  part 
of  the  animal  as  having  this  charac- 
ter. The  Vulgate  renders  this,  "  Be- 
neath him  are  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and 
he  reposeth  on  gold  as  on  clay."  Dr. 
Harris,  Dr.  Good,  and  Prof.  Lee,  sup- 
pose it  refers  to  what  the  animal  lies 
on,  meaning  that  he  lies  on  splinters 


CHAPTER  XLI. 


293 


31  He  inaketl)  the  deep  to  boil 
like  ;i  pot :  lie  inaketh  the  sea 
like  a  pot  of  ointinciit. 

;3"2  lie  makcth  a  path  to  shine 
after  him  ;  one  would  think  the 
deep  to  be  hoary. 

of  rock  and  broken  stone  with  as 
mucli  readiness  and  ease  as  if  it  were 
clay.  But  tiie  above  seems  to  me  to 
be  the  true  interpretation.  It  is  tiiat 
of  Gesenius,  RosenmilUer,  and  Um- 
breit.  Grotius  understands  it  as 
meaning  tbat  tlie  weapons  thrown  at 
liim  lie  around  liim  lilie  broken  pie- 
ces of  pottery. 

31.  He  makcth  the  deep  to  boil  like 
a  jwt.  In  iiis  rapid  motion  tlirough 
it.  The  word  'deep'  (nb^t:!^)  may 
refer  to  any  deep  place — either  of  the 
sea,  of  a  river,  or  of  mire.  Ps.  Ixix. 
3.  It  is  applied  to  the  depths  of  the 
sea,  Jonah  ii.  4.  Micali  vii.  19  ;  but 
tliere  is  nothing  in  the  word  that  will 
firevent  its  application  to  a  large  river 
like  the  Nile — the  usual  abode  of  the 
crocodile.  IT  He  inakttk  the  sea. 
The  word  'sea  '  (C^)  is  often  applied 
to  a  large  river,  like  the  Nile  or  the 
Euphrates.  See  P^'^otes,  Isa.  xix.  5. 
If  JAkc  a  pot  of  ointment.  When  it  is 
mixed,  or  stirred  together.  Bochart 
supposes  that  there  is  an  allusion 
here  to  the  smell  of  musk,  which  it  is 
said  the  crocodile  has,  and  by  which 
the  waters  through  which  he  passes 
seem  to  be  perfumed.  But  the  allu- 
sion see?ns  rather  to  be  merely  to  the 
fact  that  the  deep  is  agitated  by  him 
when  he  passes  through  it,  as  if  it 
were  stirred  from  the  bottom  like  a 
pot  of  ointment. 

32.  He  maketk  a  path  to  shine  after 
him.  This  refers  doubtless  to  the 
wliite  foam  of  the  waters  through 
which  he  passes.  If  this  were  spo- 
ken of  some  monster  that  commonly 
resides  in  the  ocean,  it  would  not  be 
unnatural  to  suppose  that  it  refers  to 
the  phosphoric  light  such  as  is  ob- 
served when  the  waters  are  agitated, 
or  when  a  vessel  passes  rapidly 
Uirough  them.     If  it  refers,  however. 


33  Upon  earth  there  is  not  hif? 
like,  who  '  is  made  without  fear. 

34  He  beholdeth  all  hicrh 
t/ii/iffs:  he  /.s-  a  king  over  all  the 
children  of  pride. 

1  or.  Iic/iave  themselves  inOifcur. 

to  the  crocodile,  the  allusion  must  be 
understood  of  the  iioary  appearance 
of  the  Nile  or  the  lake  where  he  is 
ibund.  i;  One  would  think  the  deep 
to  be  hoary.  Homer  often  speaks  of 
the  sea  as  7tn?.i>]V  Odlaonar — "the 
hoary  sea."  So  Apollonius,  speak- 
ing of  the  Argonauts,  Lib.  i.  545  : 

— /javpai  (5'  aiiv  i\tv::aivovTO  Kc\zvOai— 

"the  long  paths  were  always  white." 

So  Catullus,  in  Epith.  Pelei  : 

Totaque  remigio  fipumis  incamiit  unda. 

And  Ovid,  Epis.  (Eno  : 

— reniis  eruta  canet  aqua. 

The  rapid  motion  of  an  aquatic  ani- 
mal through  the  water  will  produce 
the  eflect  here  referred  to. 

33.  Upo7i  earth  there  is  not  his  like. 
Heb.,  'Upon  the  dust.'  Tlie  mean- 
ing is,  that  no  other  animal  can  be 
compared  with  him  ;  or  the  land  does 
not  produce  such  a  moiKster  as  this. 
For  size,  strength,  ferocit^•,  courage 
and  formidableness,  no  animal  will 
bear  a  comparison  with  him.  This 
can  be  true  only  of  some  such  fierce 
creature  as  the  crocodile.  TT  Who  is 
made  inithout  fear.  Marg.  '  Or,  he- 
have  themselves  jvith  fear.'  The 
meaning  is,  that  he  is  created  not  to 
be  afraid  ;  he  has  no  dread  of  others. 
In  this  respect  he  is  unlike  other  ani- 
mals. The  LXX  render  this,  "He 
is  made  to  be  sported  with  by  my 
angels." 

34.  He  beholdeth  all  high  things. 
That  is,  he  looks  down  on  every 
thing  as  inferior  to  him.  U  He  is  a 
king  over  all  the  children,  of  pride. 
Referring,  by  'the  children  of  pride,' 
to  the  animals  that  are  bold,  proud, 
courageous — as  the  lion,  the  panther, 
&c.  The  lion  is  often  spoken  of  as 
"the  king  of  the  forest,"    or    "the 


294 


JOB. 


king  ol  beasts,''  and  in  a  similar  sense 
the  leviallian  is  liere  spoken  of  as  at 
the  liead  of  tJie  animal  creation.  He 
is  afraid  of  none  of  them  ;  he  is  sub- 
dued by  none  of  them  ;  he  is  the 
prey  of  none  of  them.  The  whole 
argument,  therefore,  closes  willi  this 
state'.Dent,  that  he  is  at  the  head  of  the 
animal  creation  ;  and  it  was  by  this 
magnificent  description  of  the  power 
of  the  creatures  which  God  had  made, 
that  it  was  intended  to  impress  the 
mind  of  Job  witli  a  sense  of  the  ma- 
jesty and  power  of  the  Creator.  It 
had  the  etfect.  He  was  overawed 
with  a  conviction  of  the  greatness  of 
God,  and  he  saw  how  wrong  it  had 
been  for  him  to  presume  to  call  in 
question  the  justice,  or  sit  in  judg- 
ment on  the  doings,  of  such  a  Being. 
God  did  not,  indeed,  go  into  an  exam- 
ination of  tlie  various  points  which 
liad  been  the  subject  of  controversy  ; 
he  did  not  explain  the  nature  of  his 
moral  administration  so  as  to  relieve 
the  mind  from  perplexit_v  ;  but  he 
evidently  meant  to  leave  tiie  impres- 
sion that  he  was  vast  and  incompre- 
hensible in  his  government,  infinite 
in  power,  and  had  a  right  to  dispose 
of  his  creation  as  he  pleiised.  No 
one  can  doubt  that  God  could  with 
infinite  ease  have  so  explained  the 
nature  of  his  administration  as  to  free 
the  mind  from  perplexity,  and  so  as 
to  have  resolved  the  dilhculties  which 
hung  over  the  various  subjects  which 
had  come  into  debate  between  Job 
and  his  friends.  '^Vi^y  he  did  not  do 
this,  is  nowhere  stated,  and  can  only 
be  the  subject  of  conjecture.  It  is 
possible,  however,  that  the  following 
suggestions  may  do  something  to 
show  the  reasons  why^  this  was  not 
done.  (1.)  We  are  to  remember  the 
early  period  of  the  world  when  these 
transactions  occurred,  and  when  this 
book  was  composed.  In  was  in  the 
infancy  of  society,  and  when  little 
light  had  gleamed  on  the  human 
mind  in  regard  to  questions  of  morals 
and  religion.  (2.)  In  that  state  of 
things,  it  is  not  probable  that  either 
Job  or  his  friends  would  have  been 
able  to  comprehend  the  principles  in 


accordance  with  wJiich  the  wicked 
are  permitted  to  flourish  and  the 
righteous  are  so  much  afflicted,  if 
they  had  been  stated.  Much  higher 
knowledge  than  they  then  possessed 
about  the  future  world  was  necessary 
to  understand  the  subject  which  then 
agitated  their  minds.  It  could  not 
have  been  done  without  a  very  deci- 
ded reference  to  the  future  state, 
where  all  these  inequalities  are  to  bo 
removed.  (3.)  It  has  been  the  gene- 
ral plan  of  God  to  communicate  know- 
ledge by  degrees  ;  to  impart  it  when 
men  have  had  full  demonstration  of 
their  own  imbecility,  and  when  they 
feel  their  need  of  divine  teaching  ; 
and  to  reserve  the  great  truths  of  reli- 
gion for  an  advanced  period  of  the 
world.  In  accordance  \\ii\\  this 
arrangement,  God  has  been  pleased 
to  keep  in  reserve,  from  age  to  age, 
certain  great  and  momentous  truths, 
and  sucli  as  were  particularly  adapted 
to  throw  light  on  the  subjects  of  dis- 
cussion between  Job  and  his  friends. 
They  are  the  truths  pertaining  to  the 
resurrection  of  the  body  ;  the  retribu- 
tions of  the  da)-  of  judgment ;  the 
glories  of  heaven  and  the  woes  oi 
hell,  where  all  the  inequalities  of  the 
present  state  may  receive  their  final 
and  equal  adjustment.  These  great 
truths  were  reserved  for  the  triumpli 
and  glory  of  Christianity  ;  and  to 
have  stated  them  in  the  time  of  Job, 
vv'ould  have  been  to  have  anticipated 
the  most  imj)ortant  revelations  of  tha 
system.  The  trulh.s  of  which  we  are 
now  in  possession  would  have  reliev- 
ed much  of  the  perplexity  then  felt, 
and  solved  most  of  those  questions  ; 
but  the  world  was  not  then  in  the 
proper  state  for  their  revelation. 
(4.)  It  was  a  very  important  lesson 
to  be  taught  men,  to  bow  with  sub- 
mission to  a  sovereign  God,  without 
knowing  the  reason  of  his  doings. 
No  lesson,  perhaps,  could  be  learned 
of  higher  value  than  this.  To  a 
proud,  self-confident,  philosophic 
mind,  a  mind  prone  to  rely  on  its 
own  resources,  and  trust  to  its  own 
deductions,  it  was  of  the  liighest  im- 
portance   to    inculcate    the    duty    of 


CilAPTKR  XLII. 


295 


submission  to  jr(7/  and  to  sorcrciirnttj. 
Tliis  is  a  lesson  wliicli  we  often  ha\e 
to  learn  in  life,  and  which  almost  all 
the  trying  dispensations  of  Provi- 
dence are  fitted  to  teach  us.  It  is 
not  because  God  has  no  reason  for 
what  he  does  ;  it  is  not  because  he 
intends  we  shall  never  hnoic  the  rea- 
son ;  but  it  is  because  it  is  our  diitij  to 
how  with  submission  to  his  will,  and 
to  acquiesce  in  his  riglit  to  leign,  even 
when  we  cannot  see  the  reason  of 
his  doings.  Could  we  reason  it  out., 
and  then  submit  because  we  saw  the 
reason,  our  submission  would  not  be 
to  our  Maker's  pleasure,  but  to  the 
deductions  of  our  own  minds.  Hence, 
all  along,  he  so  deals  with  man,  by 
concealing  the  reason  of  his  doings, 
as  to  bring  him  to  submission  to  his 
authority,  and  to  humble  all  human 
pride.  To  this  termination  all  the 
reasonings  of  the  Almighty  in  this 
book  are  conducted  ;  and  after  the 
exhibition  of  his  power  in  the  tem- 
pest, after  his  sublime  description  of 
his  own  works,  after  his  appeal  to 
the  numerous   thinss  which  are   in 


fact  incomprehensible  by  man,  we 
feel  that  God  is  grkat — that  it  is  pre- 
sumptuous in  man  to  sit  in  juflgmeut 
on  his  works — and  tiiat  the  mind,  no 
matter  what  he  does,  should  bow  be- 
fore him  with  profound  veneration 
and  silence.  These  are  the  great 
lessons  whicli  we  are  every  day  called 
to  learn  in  the  actual  dispensations  of 
his  providence  ;  and  the  arguments 
for  these  lessons  were  never  else- 
where stated  with  so  much  power  and 
sublimity  as  in  the  closing  chapters  of 
the  book  of  Job.  fVe  have  the  light 
of  the  Ciiristian  religion  ;  we  can 
look  into  eternity,  and  see  how  the 
inequalities  of  the  present  order  of 
things  can  be  adjusted  there  ;  and  we 
have  sources  of  consolation  which 
neither  Job  nor  his  friends  enjoyed  ; 
but  still,  with  all  this  light,  there  are 
numerous  cases  where  we  are  requir- 
ed to  bow,  not  because  we  see  the 
reason  of  the  divine  dealings,  but  be- 
cause such  is  the  loill  of  God.  To 
us,  in  such  circumstances,  this  argu- 
ment of  the  Almighty  is  adapted  to 
teach  the  most  salutary  lessons. 


CHAPTER    XLII. 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 


This  closing  chapter  of  the  book  is  composed  partly  of  poetry  and  partly  of  prose.  The  first 
part  comprises  the  first  si.t  verses,  and  consists  of  the  confession  of  Job  that  he  had  erred.  He 
is  convinced  by  the  reasoning  of  the  Almighty  that  all  things  are  under  hie  control,  and  that 
none  of  liis  purposes  can  be  liindered  (ver.  2,  margin)  ;  he  acknowledges  that  he  himself  had 
uttered  things  which  he  did  not  understand,  and  had  undertaken  the  discussion  of  things  which 
were  too  high  for  him,  and  deserved  the  reproof  of  having  '  darkened  counsel  by  words  without 
knowledge,'  ver.  3  ;  he  confesses  his  error  in  having  with  so  bold  and  irreverent  a  spirit  called 
on  God  to  enter  on  a  trial,  and  having  wished  to  argue  his  case  himself  before  God  (see  Notes 
on  ver.  4)  ;  he  says  that  he  now  has  new  views  of  the  Almighty — as  different  from  those  which 
he  formerly  had,  as  wns  tliat  between  a  thing  of  which  a  man  had  only  a  distant  rumor  and  what 
he  saw.  ver.  5;  and  now  having  'seen'  God,  he  saw  himself  to  be  vile,  and  repented  in  dust 
and  ashes.  Thus  the  effect  which  it  was  desired  to  produce  on  Job  was  accomplished.  The 
improprieties  in  which  he  had  indulged  were  rebukad:  he  was  brought  to  true  repentance,  and 
showed  that  he  was  truly  a  good  man,  and  that,  notwithstanding  all  that  he  had  said  under 
eicited  feeling,  and  in  the  bitterness  of  his  anguish,  he  had  at  heart  a  profound  reverence  for 
<«od.  and  suprt  me  submission  to  his  will 

The  second  part  of  the  chapter  (vs.  7-16)  is  in  prose,  and  contains  the  statement  of  the  result 
of  the  whole  trial.  The  Almighty  pronounces  the  friends  of  Job  to  be  in  error  in  the  opinions 
which  they  had  maintuined  respectin.^  his  dispensitions,  and  decides  in  favor  of  Job  in  the 
controversy,  vtr.  7.     This  decision  involves  the  conclusion  that  triali  in  this  life  are  not  certain 


296 


JOB. 


Indications  of  character  ;  that  the  fact  that  a  man  suRVrs  much  is  no  cvidfncc  tr.at  he  ii 
eminently  wicked  ;  and  that  prosperity  is  no  clear  jiroof  tli.'it  a  man  is  the  o!)ject  of  the  divine 
favor.  As  the  friends  of  Job  had  defended  many  sentiments  which  were  erroneous,  and 
manifested  a  spirit  eminently  wrong,  it  was  adjudgeci  that  ii  was  jiroper  that  a  sacrifice  should 
be  made  in  acknowledgment  of  their  error  ;  and  as  they  had  done  much  to  pain  and  grieve  the 
heart  of  Job;  and  as  some  act  of  defurence  and  respsit  was  due  to  him  from  them,  they  are 
commanded  to  take  a  sacrifice  of  seven  bullocks  and  seven  rams,  and  to  go  to  Job,  that  he  might 
offer  the  sacrifice,  and  intercede  for  them,  vs.  8, 9.  The  account  of  the  returning  piosperity  of 
Job  completes  the  book,  vs.  10-10.  lie  is  restored  to  double  his  former  possessions  ;  is  honored 
with  the  returning  affection  of  all  his  kindred;  is  consoled  by  their  sympathy  and  enriched 
with  their  offerings ;  is  blessed  with  a  second  family  as  numerous  ns  the  former ;  lives  till  he 
sees  a  numerous  and  happy  posterity  ;  and  dies  at  last  honored  and  full  of  days 


'T'^HEN  Job  answered  the  Lord 
and  said, 

2  I  know  that  thou  "  canst  do 
every  thing,  and  that  no  thought 
'  can  be  withholden  from  thee. 

3  Who  *  is  he  that  hideth 
counsel     without     knowledge  ? 

a  Ge.  18.  14.  Is.  43.  13.  Mi.t.  19.  26. 
1  or,  of  thine  can  be  hindered.      b  c.  38.  2,  3. 

2.  /  knoio  that  thou  canst  do  every 
thing.  This  is  said  by  Job  in  view 
of  what  had  been  declared  by  the 
Almighty  in  the  previous  chapters. 
It  is  an  acknowledgment  that  God 
was  omnipotent,  and  that  man  ouglit 
to  be  submissive  under  the  putting 
forth  of  his  infinite  power.  One 
great  object  of  the  address  of  the  Al- 
mighty was  to  convince  Job  of  his 
majesty,  and  that  object  was  fully 
accomplished.  H  And  that  no  thought. 
No  purpose  or  plan  of  thine.  Ciod 
was  able  to  execute  all  his  designs. 
II  Can  he  ivithhnldcn  from,  thee. 
Marg.  'or,  of  thine  can  he  hindered.' 
Literally,  cut  off — "'^S.  The  word, 
however,  means  also  to  cut  off  access 
to,  and  then  to  prevent,  hinder,  re- 
strain. This  is  its  meaning  here. 
So  Gen.  xi.  6,  "  Nothing  will  be  re- 
strained ("iSS"^)  from  thern,  which 
they  have  imagined  to  do." 

3.  Who  is  he  that  hideth  counsel 
loithout  knowledge  ?  This  is  repeat- 
ed from  ch.  xxxviii.  2.  As  used 
there,  these  are  the  words  of  the  Al- 
mighty, uttered  as  a  reproof  of  Job 
for  the  manner  in  which  he  had  un- 
dertaken to  explain  the  dealings  of 
God.  See  Notes  on  that  verse.  As 
••epeated    here    by  Job,  they  are  an 


therefore  have  I  uttered  that 
I  understood  not ;  things  too 
wonderful  "  for  me,  which  I 
knew  not. 

4  Hear,  I  beseech  thee,  and  I 
will  speak  :  I  '^  will  demand  ot 
thee,  and  declare  thou  unto  me. 

c  Ps.  131.  1,  139.  G.  d  c.  40.  7. 

acknowledgment  of  the  truth  of  what 
is  tiiere  implied,  tliat  he  had  been 
guilty  of  hiding  counsel  in  this  man- 
ner, and  the  repetition  here  is  a  part 
of  his  confession.  lie  acknowledges 
that  he /(«rf  entertained  and  expressed 
such  views  of  God  as  were  in  fact 
clothing  the  whole  yu!)ject  in  dark- 
ness instead  of  explaining  it.  The 
meaning  is,  'Who  indeed  is  it,  as 
thou  saidst,  that  undertakes  to  judge 
of  great  and  profound  purposes  with- 
out knowledge  .'  /  am  that  presump- 
tuous man  .''  Ilo;en.  Tl  Therefore 
have  I  uttered  that  I  understood  not. 
I  have  pronounced  an  opinion  on 
subjects  altogether  too  profound  for 
my  compreliensiou.  This  is  the  lan- 
guage of  true  hiimilitv  and  penitence, 
and  shows  that  Job  had  at  heart  a 
profound  veneration  for  God,  how- 
ever much  he  had  been  led  away  by 
the  severity  of  his  sufferings  to  give 
vent  to  improper  expressions.  It  is 
no  uncommon  thing  for  even  good 
men  to  be  brought  to  see  that  thev 
have  spoken  presumptuously  of  God, 
and  have  engaged  in  discussions  and 
ventured  to  pronounce  opinions  on 
matters  pertaining  to  the  divine  ad- 
ministration, that  were  wholly  be  vond 
tlieir  comprehension. 

4.  Hear,  I  beseech  thee,  and  J  will 


CIIAl'TER    XLII. 


297 


5  I  have  heard  of  ihee  by  the 
hearing  of  the  ear  :  but  now  mine 
eye  secth  thee. 


speak.  Tliis  is  the  languiige  of  liuiii- 
ble,  docile  submission.  On  former 
occasions  he  hud  spoken  confidently 
and  boldly  of  God  ;  he  had  called  in 
question  tl)e  e(]uity  of  his  dealings 
with  him  ;  he  had  demanded  that  he 
might  be  permitted  to  carry  his  cause 
before  him,  and  argue  it  there  him- 
self Notes,  cii.  xiii.  a,  20-^2.  Now 
he  is  vvliolly  changed.  His  is  the 
submissive  language  of  a  docile  child, 
and  he  begs  to  lie  permitted  to  sit 
down  before  God,  and  humbly  to  in- 
quire of  Itiiii  what  was  truth.  TIds 
is  true  religion.  TI  /  irill  dtinund  of 
thee.  Or  rather,  '  I  will  ask  of  thee.' 
The  word  'demand'  implies  more 
than  there  is  of  necessity  in  the  ori. 
ginal  word  ('Nttj).  That  means  sim- 
ply to  ask.,  and  it  may  be  done  with 
the  deepest  humility  and  desire  of 
instruction.  That  was  now  the  tem- 
per of  Job.  TI  .ind  declare  thou  unto 
me.  Job  was  not  now  disposed  to 
debate  the  matter,  or  to  enter  into  a 
controversy  with  God.  He  was 
willing  to  sit  down  and  receive  in- 
struction from  God,  and  earnestly 
desired  that  he  would  teach  him  of 
his  ways.  It  sliould  be  added,  that 
very  respectable  critics  suppose  that 
in  this  verse  Job  designs  to  make 
confession  of  tiie  impropriety  of  liis 
language  on  former  occasions,  in  the 
presumptuous  and  irreverent  manner 
in  which  he  had  demanded  a  trial  of 
argument  with  God.  It  would  then 
require  to  be  rendered  as  a  quotation 
from  his  own  words  formerly  : 

"  I  have  indeed  uttered  what  I  understood  not, 
Things  loo  wonderful  for  me,  whicli  I  knew 

not, 
(AVh'Mi  I  said)  Hear  now,  I  will  speak, 
1  will  demand  of  thee,  and  do  thou  teach 

me." 

This  is  adopted  by  Umbreit,  and  has 
much  in  its  favor  that  is  plausible  ; 
but  on  the  whole  the  usual  interpre- 
tation seems  to  be  most  simple  and 
proper. 


C  Wlierefore"!  abhor  inijiiclf, 
and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes.' 

a  Ez.  9.  6.  c.  40.  3.  Ps.  51.  17.  Je.  31.  19.  Ja.  4. 
10.  6  Da.  9.  3.  Mat.  11.21. 


5.  I  have  heard  of  thee  hy  the  hr.ar- 
ing  of  the  car.  Referring  to  the  in- 
distinct views  which  we  have  of  any 
thing  by  merely  hearing  of  it,  com- 
pared with  the  clear  apprehension 
which  is  furnished  by  sight.  Job 
had  had  such  views  of  (iod  as  one 
may  obtain  by  being  told  of  him  ;  he 
now  had  such  views  as  art?  furnished 
by  the  sight.  The  meaning  is,  that 
his  views  of  God  before  were  dark 
and  obscure.  II  But  now  mine  eye 
secth  thee.  We  are  not  to  suppose 
that  Job  means  to  saj'  that  he  actu- 
ally saw  God,  but  tliat  liis  apprehen- 
sions of  him  were  clear  and  bright  as 
?/"he  did.  There  is  no  evidence  that 
God  appeared  to  Job  in  any  visible 
form.  He  is  said,  indeed,  to  have 
spoken  from  the  whirlwind,  but  no 
visible  manifestation  of  Jehovah  is 
mentioned. 

6.  Wherefore  I  abhor  myself.  I 
see  that  I  am  a  sinner  to  be  loathed 
and  abhorred.  Job,  though  he  did 
not  claim  to  be  perfect,  had  vet  un- 
questionably been  unduly  exalted 
with  the  conception  of  his  own  right- 
eousness, and  in  the  zeal  of  his  argu- 
ment, and  under  the  excitement  oi 
his  feelings  when  reproached  by  his 
friends,  had  indulged  in  indefensible 
language  respecting  his  own  integrity. 
He  now  saw  the  error  and  folly  o. 
this,  and  desired  to  take  the  lowest 
place  of  humiliation.  Compared 
with  a  pure  and  holy  God,  he  saw 
that  he  was  utterly  vile  and  loath- 
some, and  was  not  unwilling  now  to 
confess  it.  11  Jlnd  repent.  Of  the 
spirit  which  I  have  evinced  ;  of  the 
language  used  in  self-vindication  ; 
of  the  manner  in  which  I  have 
spoken  of  God.  Of  the  general  sen- 
timents which  he  had  maintained  in 
regard  to  the  divine  administration,  as 
contrasted  with  those  of  his  friends, 
he  had  no  occasion  to  repent,  for 
they  were  correct  (ver.  8),  nor  liad 
he  occasion  to  repent  us  if  he  had 


298 


JOB. 


never  been  a  true  penitent  or  a  pious 
man.  But  he  tiow  saw  that  in  the 
spirit  which  lio  had  e^inced  under 
his  afflictions,  and  in  his  argument, 
there  was  rnucii  to  regret ;  and  lie 
doubtless  saw  that  there  had  been 
much  in  his  former  liie  whicii  had 
furnished  occasion  for  bringing  these 
trials  upon  him,  over  which  lie  ought 
now  to  mourn.  Tl  In  dust  and  ashes. 
In  the  most  lowly  manner,  and  with 
the  most  expressive  symbols  of  hu- 
miliation. It  was  customary  in  times 
of  grief,  whether  in  view  of  sin  or 
from  calamity,  to  sit  down  in  ashes 
(see  Notes,  ch.  ii.  8,  comp.  Dan.  ix. 
3.  Jonah  iii.  6.  Matth.  xi.  21)  ;  or  on 
such  an  occasion  the  sufferer  and  the 
penitent  would  strew  ashes  over 
himself.  Comp.  Is.  Iviii.  5.  The  phi- 
losophy of  this  was — like  tlie  custom 
of  wearing  Mack  for  mourning  appa- 
rel— that  the  external  iipjiearance 
ought  to  correspond  with  the  internal 
emotions,  and  tliat  deep  sorrow  would 
be  appropriatel}'  expressed  by  disfig- 
uring the  outward  aspect  as  much  as 
possible.  The  sense  here  is,  that 
Job  meant  to  give  expression  to  the 
profoundest  and  sincerest  feelings  of 
penitence  for  his  sins.  .From  this 
effect  produced  on  his  mind  by  the 
address  of  the  Alniiglity,  we  may 
learn  the  follovving  lessons  :  (1.) 
That  a  correct  view  of  tlie  character 
and  presence  of  God  is  adapted  to 
produce  humility  and  penitence. 
Comp.  ch.  xl.  4,  5.  This  efiect  was 
produced  on  tlie  mind  of  Peter  when, 
astonished  by  a  miracle  wrouglit  by 
the  Saviour  which  none  but  a  divine 
being  could  have  wrouglit,  he  said, 
"Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful 
man,  O  Lord."  Luke  v.  8.  The 
same  effect  was  produced  on  the 
mind  of  Isaiah  after  he  liad  seen  Je- 
hovah of  Hosts  in  the  temple  : 
"  Then  said  I,  Wo  is  me,  for  I  am 
undone  ;  because  I  am  a  man  of  un- 
clean lips,  and  I  dwell  in  the  midst 
of  a  people  of  unclean  lips  ;  for  mine 
eyes  have  seen  the  king,  the  Lord  of 
Hosts."  Isa.  vi.  5.  No  man  can 
have  any  elevated  views  of  his  own 
importance  or  purity,  who  has  right 


apprehensions  of  the  holiness  of  hia 
Creator.  (2.)  Such  a  view  of  the 
presence  of  God  will  produce  what 
no  argument  can  in  causing  penitence 
and  humility.  The  friends  of  Job 
Jiad  reasoned  with  him  in  vain  to  se- 
cure just  this  state  of  mind  ;  they 
iiad  endeavored  to  convince  him  that 
-he  was  a  great  sinner,  and  ought  to 
exercise  repentance.  But  he  met 
argument  with  argument  ;  and  all 
tiieir  arguments,  denunciations,  and 
appeals,  made  no  impression  on  his 
mind.  When,  however,  God  mani 
fested  himself  to  him,  he  was  melted 
into  contrition,  and  was  ready  to 
make  the  most  penitent  and  humble 
confession.  So  it  is  now.  The  ar- 
guments of  a  preacher  or  a  friend 
often  make  no  impression  on  the 
mind  of  a  sinner.  He  can  guard 
himself  against  them.  He  can  meet 
argument  with  argument,  or  can 
coolly  turn  the  ear  away.  But  iie 
has  no  such  power  to  resist  God,  and 
when  he  manifests  himself  to  the 
soul,  the  heart  is  subdued,  and  the 
proud  and  self-confident  unbeliever 
becomes  humbled,  and  sues  for  mer- 
cy. (3.)  A  good  man  will  be  willing 
to  confess  that  he  is  vile,  when  he 
has  any  clear  views  of  God.  He 
will  be  so  affected  with  a  sense  of 
the  majesty  and  holiness  of  his  Ma- 
ker, that  he  will  be  overwhelmed 
with  a  sense  of  his  own  unworthi- 
ness.  (4.)  The  most  holy  men  may 
have  occasion  to  repent  of  their  pre- 
sumptuous manner  of  speaking  of 
God.  ^Ve  all  err  in.  the  same  way  in 
which  Job  did.  We  reason  about 
God  with  irreverence  ;  we  speak  ol 
his  government  as  if  we  could  com- 
prehend it ;  we  discourse  of  him  as  it 
he  were  an  equal  ;  and  when  we 
come  to  have  any  just  ^  lews  of  him, 
we  see  that  there  has  been  much  im 
proper  boldness,  much  self-con  fi 
dence,  much  irreverence  of  thought 
and  manner,  in  our  estimation  of  the 
divine  wisdom  and  plans.  The  bit- 
ter experience  of  Job  should  lead 
us  to  the  utmost  carefulness  in  the 
manner  in  which  we  speak  of  our 
Maker. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 


299 


7  And  it  was  50,  that  after  the 
Lord  had  spoken  these  words 
unto  Job,  the  Lord  said  to  Eli- 
phaz  the  Temanite,  My  wrath 
is  kindled  against  thee  and  a- 
gainst  thy  two  friends  :  for  ye 
have  not  spoken  of  me "  ike  thing 
that  is  right,  as  my  servant  Job 
hath. 

8  Therefore    take    unto    you 

aPs.51.4.    6Nu.  23. 1.    cJa.  5.16.  IJiio.  5.16. 

7.  And  it  was  so,  that  after  the 
Lord  had  spoken  these  tcords  unto 
Job.  H;id  the  matter  been  left  ac- 
cording to  the  record  in  ver.  6,  a 
wholly  erroneous  impression  would 
have  heeii  made.  Joh  was  over- 
wJieliued  with  the  conviction  of  liis 
guilt,  and  had  nothing  been  said  to 
his  friends,  the  impression  would 
have  been  that  lie  was  wholly  in  the 
wrong.  It  was  important,  therefore, 
and  was  indeed  essential  to  the  plan 
of  the  book,  that  the  divine  judgment 
should  be  pronounced  on  the  conduct 
of  his  three  friends.  IF  The  Lord 
said  to  Eliphaz  the  Temanite.  Eli- 
phaz  had  been  uniformly  first  in  the 
argument  with  Job,  and  hence  he  is 
particularly  addressed  here.  He 
seems  to  have  been  the  most  aged 
and  respectable  of  the  three  friends, 
and  in  fact  the  speeches  of  the  others 
are  often  a  mere  echo  of  his.  IT  My 
icrath  is  kindled.  Wrath,  or  anger, 
is  often  represented  as  enkindled,  or 
burning.  IT  For  ye  have  not  spoken 
of  me  the  thing  that  is  right,  as  my 
servant  Job  hath.  This  must  be  un- 
derstood comparatively.  God  did  not 
approve  of  all  that  Job  had  said,  but 
the  meaning  is,  that  his  general  views 
of  his  government  were  just.  The 
main  position  which  he  had  defended 
in  contradistinction  from  his  friends 
was  correct,  for  his  arguments  tend- 
ed lo  vindicate  the  divine  character, 
and  to  uphold  the  divine  government. 
It  is  to  be  remembered,  also,  as 
Couiller  has  remarked,  that  there 
was  a  great  difference  in  the  circum- 
stances of  Job  and   the  three   friends 


now  '  seven  bullocks  and  seven 
rams,  and  go  to  my  servant  Job, 
and  offer  up  for  yourselves  a 
burnt-offering  :  and  my  servant 
Job  shall  pray  "  for  you  ;  for  '  him 
will  I  accept  :  lest  I  deal  with 
you  after  your  folly,  in  that  ye 
have  not  spoken  of  me  the  thing 
lohich  is  right,  like  my  servant 
Job. 

1  hisfucr,  or.  person,  1  8a.  S.'i.  35.  i\Ial.  1.  8. 

— circumstances  niodilViug  the  de- 
grees of  blameworthiness  chargeable 
to  each.  Job  uttered,  indeed,  some 
improper  sentiments  about  God  and 
his  government  ;  he  expressed  him- 
self with  irreverence  and  impatience  ; 
he  used  a  language  of  boldness  and 
complaint  wholly  improper,  but  this 
was  done  in  the  agony  of  mental 
and  bodily  suffering,  and  when 
provoked  bv  the  severe  and  im- 
proper charges  of  hypocrisy  brought 
by  his  friends.  What  they  said,  on 
the  contrary,  was  unprovoked.  It 
was  when  they  were  free  from  suf- 
fering, and  when  they  were  urged  to 
it  by  no  severity  of  trial.  It  was, 
moreover,  when  every  consideration 
required  them  to  express  the  lan- 
guage of  condolence,  and  to  comfort 
a  suffering  friend. 

8.  Therefore  take  unto  you.  Or, 
for  yourselves.  IT  Seven  bullocks  and 
seven  rams.  The  number  seven  was 
a  common  number  in  offering  ani- 
mals for  sacrifice.  See  Lev.  xxiii. 
18.  Num.  xxix.  32.  It  was  not  a 
number,  however,  confined  at  all  to 
Jewish  sacrifices,  for  we  find  that 
Balaam  gave  the  direction  to  Balak, 
king  of  Moab,  to  prepare  just  this 
number  for  sacrifice.  "  And  Balaam 
said  unto  Balak,  Build  me  here  seven 
altars,  and  prepare  me  here  seven 
oxen  and  seven  rams."  Num.  xxiii. 
1,  29.  The  number  seven  was  early 
regarded  as  a  perfect  number,  and  it 
was  probably  with  reference  to  this 
that  that  number  of  victims  was  se- 
lected, with  an  intention  of  offering 
a  sacrifice  that  would  be  complete  or 


300 


JOB. 


9  So  Eliphaz  the  Temanite, 
and  Bildad  the  Shuhite,  and  Zo 
pliar  the  Naamathite,  went  and 
did  according  as  the  Loud  com- 
manded them  :  the  Lord  "  also 
accepted  'Job. 

a  Vr.  3.  11,  12.  1  the  face  of  Job. 

perfect.  IT  .'ind  i;o  to  my  servant  Job. 
An  acknowledgment  of  his  superior- 
ity. It  is  probably  to  be  understood, 
also,  that  Job  would  act  as  the  offici- 
ating priest  in  offering  up  the  sacri- 
fice. It  is  observable  that  no  allusion 
is  made  in  this  book  to  the  priestly 
'jffie,  and  the  conclusion  is  obvious 
that  the  scene  is  laid  before  tlie  insti- 
tution of  that  office  among  the  Jews. 
Coinp.  Notes  on  cli.  i.  5.  11  /Ind  offer 
up  for  yourselves.  That  is,  by  tlie 
aid  of  Job.  They  were  to  make  the 
oilering,  though  Jou  was  evidently  to 
be  tiie  officiating  priest.  IT  Jl  burnt- 
offering.  Notes,  ch.  i.  5.  IT  .^nd  my 
servant  Job  shall  pray  for  you.  In 
connection  with  the  offering,  or  as 
the  officiating  priest.  This  is  a  beau- 
tiful instance  of  the  nature  and  pro- 
priety of  intercession  for  others.  Job 
was  a  holy  man  ;  his  prayers  would 
be  acceptable  to  God,  and  his  friends 
were  permitted  to  avail  themselves 
of  his  powerful  intercession  in  tlieir 
behalf.  It  is  also  an  instance  show- 
ing the  nature  of  the  patriarchal  wor- 
ship. In  did  not  consist  merely  in 
offering  sacrifices.  Prayer  was  to  be 
connected  loith  sacrifices,  nor  is  there 
any  evidence  that  bloody  offerings 
were  regarded  as  available  in  secur- 
ing acceptance  with  God,  except  in 
connection  with  fervent  prayer.  It 
is  also  an  instance  showing  the  nature 
of  the  patriarchal  piety.  It  was  pre- 
sumed that  Job  would  be  ready  to  do 
this,  and  would  not  hesitate  thus  to 
j)ray  for  liis  '  friends.'  Yet  it  could  j 
iiot  l)e  forgotten  how  much  they  had  ' 
wounded  his  feelings  ;  how  severe 
had  been  their  reproaches  ;  nor  how 
confidently  they  had  nuiintained  that 
he  was  an  eminently  bad  man.  But 
it  was  presumed  now  that  Job  would 
be -ready  to   forgive  all   this;  to  vvel- 


10  And  the  Lord  turned  '  the 
captivity  of  Job,  when  he  prayed 
for  his  friends  :  also  the  Lord 
^gave  Job  twice  as  much  as  he 
had  before. 

b  Ge.  20.  17.  Ps.  14  7,  126.  1. 
2  ad'.tcth  all  that  had  been  \oJob  unto  the  double 

come  his  friends  to  a  participation  in 
the  same  act  of  worship  with  him, 
and  to  pray  for  them  that  their  sins 
might  be  forgiven.  Such  is  religion, 
alike  in  the  patriarchal  age  and  under 
the  gospel,  prompting  us  to  be  ready 
to  forgive  those  wlio  have  pained  or 
injured  us,  and  making  us  ready  to 
j)ray  that  God  would  pardon  and 
bless  them.  IT  For  him  loill  I  accept. 
Marg.  his  face.,  or,  person.  So  the 
Hebrew.  So  in  Gen^  xix.  21  (marg.), 
comp.  Deut.  xxviii.  50.  The  word 
face  is  thus  used  to  denote  the  per- 
son, or  man.  The  meaning  is,  that 
Job  was  so  holy  and  upriglit  that 
God  would  regard  his  prayers.  II 
Lest  I  deal  icith  you  after  your  folly. 
As  their  folly  had  deserved.  There 
is  particular  reference  here  to  the 
sentiments  which  they  had  advanced 
respecting  the  divine  character  and 
government. 

1).  The  Lord  also  accepted  Job. 
Marg.  as  in  ver.  8,  the  face  of.  Tjie 
meaning  is,  that  he  accepted  his 
prayers  and  offerings  in  behalf  of  his 
friends. 

10  ^nd  the  Lord  turned  the  cap- 
tivity of  Job.  Restored  him  to  liis 
former  prosperity.  The  language  is 
taken  from  restoration  to  country 
and  home  after  having  been  a  captive 
in  a  foreign  land.  This  language  is 
often  applied  in  the  Scriptures  to  the 
return  of  tlie  Jews  from  their  captiv- 
ity in  Babylon,  and  some  writers 
have  made  use  of  it  as  an  argument 
to  show  that  Job -lived  (fter  that 
event.  But  this  conclusion  is  un- 
warranted. The  language  is  so  gen- 
eral that  it  might  be  taken  from  the 
return  from  any  captivity,  and  is 
such  as  would  naturally  be  employed 
in  the  early  periods  of  the  world  to 
denote  restoration  from  calamity.     It 


CHAPTER  XLII. 


301 


/ 


1 1  Then  came  there  unto  him 
all  "  his  brethren,  and  ail  his 
sisters,  and  all  they  that  had 
been  of  his  acquaintance  before, 
and  did  eat  bread  with  him  in 
his  house  :   and  they  bemoaned 

a  c.  19.  13. 

was  common  in  the  earliest  ages  to 
convey  captives  in  war  to  the  land  of 
the  cotiqiieror,  and  tlius  make  a  land 
desolate  l)v  tlie  removal  of  its  inhab- 
itants ;  and  it  would  be  natural  to 
use  the  language  expressive  of  their 
return  to  denote  a  restoration  from 
any  great  calamity  to  former  privi- 
leges and  comforts.  Such  is  undoubt- 
edly its  meaning  as  applied  to  the 
case  of  Job.  He  was  restored  from 
his  series  of  protracted  trials  to  a 
state  of  prosperity.  IF  iVIien  he  prayed 
for  his  friends.  Or  after  he  had 
prayed  for  his  friends.  It  is  not  im- 
plied of  necessity  that  his  praying  for 
them  had  any  particular  eflect  in 
restoring  his  prosperity.  11  .^Iso  the 
Lord  gave  Job  twice  as  much  as  he 
had  before.  Marg.  added  all  that  had 
been  to  Jub  unto  the  double.  The 
margin  is  a  literal  translation,  but  the 
meaning  is  the  same.  It  is  not  to  be 
understood  that  this  occurred  at  once 
— for  many  of  these  blessings  were 
bestowed  gradually.  Nor  are  we  to 
understand  it  in  every  respect  literal- 
ly— for  he  had  the  same  number  of 
sons  and  daughters  as  before  ;  but  it 
fS  a  general  declaration,  and  was 
true  in  all  essential  respects. 

11.  Then  came  there  unto  him  all 
his  brethren,  &.c.  It  seems  remarka- 
ble that  none  of  these  friends  came 
ne.ir  to  him  during  his  afflictions, 
and  especially  that  his  sisters  should 
not  have  been  with  him  to  sympa- 
thize with  him.  But  it  was  one  of 
the  bitter  sources  of  his  affliction,  and 
one  of  the  grounds  of  liis  complaint, 
that  in  his  trials  his  kindred  stood 
aloof  from  him.  So  in  ch.  xi.\.  13, 
14,  he  says,  "  He  hath  put  my  breth- 
ren tar  from  me,  and  mine  acquaint- 
ance are  verily  estranged  from  nie. 
My    kinsfolk    have    failed,    and    my 


him,  and  comforted  him  over  all 
the  evil  tliat  the  Lord  had 
brought  upon  him  :  every  man 
also  gave  him  a  piece  of  money, 
and  every  one  an  ear-ring  of 
ffold. 


familiar  friends  have  forgotten  me." 
It  is  not  easy  to  account  for  this. 
It  may  have  been,  however,  that  a 
part  were  kept  from  showing  any 
svmpathv,  in  accordance  with  the 
general  tact  that  there  are  always 
professed  friends,  and  sometimes  kin- 
dred, who  forsake  a  man  in  affliction  ; 
and  that  a  part  regarded  him  as  aban- 
doned by  God,  and  forsook  him  on 
that  account — from  a  mistaken  view 
of  what  they  regarded  as  duty,  that 
they  ought  to  forsake  one  whom  God 
had  forsaken.  When  his  calamities 
had  passed  by,  however,  and  he  again 
enjoyed  the  tokens  of  the  divine 
fuvor,  all  returned  to  him  full  of 
condolence  and  kindness  ;  part,  pro- 
bably, because  friends  always  cluster 
around  one  who  comes  out  of  calam- 
ity and  rises  again  to  honor,  and  the 
other  portion  because  they  supposed 
that  as  God  regarded  hitn  now  with 
approbation,  it  was  proper  for  them 
to  do  it  also.  A  man  who  has  been 
unfortunate,  and  who  is  visited  with 
returning  prosperity,  never  lacks 
friends.  The  rising  sun  reveals  ma- 
ny friends  that  darkness  had  driven 
away,  or  brings  to  light  many — real 
or  professed — who  were  concealed  at 
midnight.  IT  Jlnd  did  eat  bread  with 
him  in  his  house.  An  ancient  token 
of  friendship  and  affection.  Conip. 
Ps.  xi.  9.  Prov.  ix.  5,  xxiii.  6.  Jer. 
xli.  1.  IT  j3red  every  man  also  gave 
him  a  piece  of  money.  This  is  prob- 
ably one  of  the  earliest  instances  in 
which  monexj  is  mentioned  in  history. 
It  is,  of  course,  impossible  now  to 
determine  the  form  or  value  of  the 
'  piece  of  money  '  here  referred  to. 
The  Hebrew  word  (nii'^iup,  kesitah), 
occurs  only  in  this  place  and  in  Gen. 
xxxiii.  19,  where  it  is  rendered  'pie- 
ces of  money,'  and  in  Josh,  xxiv    3';, 


302 


JOB. 


where  it  is  rendered  '  pieces  of  silver.' 
It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  it  was 
one  of  tlie  earliest  names  given  to 
coin,  and  its  use  here  is  an  argument 
that  the  book  of  Job  is  of  very  early 
origin.  Had  it  been  composed  at  a 
later  age,  the  word  shekel,  or  some 
vord  in  common  use  to  denote  mo- 
ney, would  have  been  used.  The 
Vulgate  here  renders  the  word  ovem, 
a  sheep  ;  the  LXX  in  like  manner, 
'ifddda,  a  lavih ;  and  so  also  the 
Chaldee.  In  the  margin,  in  both  the 
other  places  where  the  word  occurs 
(Gen.  x.\xiii.  19.  Josh.  xxiv.  32),  it  is 
also  rendered  lambs.  The  reason 
why  it  is  so  rendered  is  unknown. 
It  may  have  been  supposed  that  in 
early  times  a  sheep  or  lamb  having 
something  like  a  fixed  value,  might 
have  been  the  standard  by  which  to 
estimate  the  value  of  other  things  ; 
but  there  is  nothing  in  the  etymology 
of  the  word  .to  support  this  interpre- 
tation. The  word  in  Arabic  (Jfl-wJ  , 
kasat),  means  to  divide  out  equally, 
to  measure  ;  and  the  Hebrew  word 
probably  had  some  such  signification 
denoting  that  which  was  measured 
or  weighed  out,  and  hence  became 
the  name  of  a  certain  weight  or 
amount  of  money.  It  is  altogether 
probable  that  the  first  money  con- 
sisted of  a  certain  amount  of  the  pre- 
cious metals  weighed  out,  without 
being  coined  in  any  way.  It  is  not 
an  improbable  supposition,  however, 
that  the  figure  of  a  sheep  or  lamb 
Avas  the  first  figure  stamped  on  coins, 
and  this  may  be  the  reason  why  the 
word  here  used  was  rendered  in  this 
manner  in  the  ancient  versions.  On 
liie  meaning  of  the  word,  Bochart 
may  be  constilted,  Hieroz.  P.  i.  Lib. 
c.  xliii.  pp.  433-437  ;  RosenmOller  on 
Gen.  xxxiii.  19;  Schultens  in  loco; 
and  the  following  work  in  Ugolin's 
Tbes.  Antiq.  Sucr.  Tom.  xxviii.,  Ot- 
tlionis  Sperlingii  Diss,  dc  nummis 
von  C2csis,  pp.  251-253,  298-306. 
The  arguments  of  Bochart  to  prove 
that  this  word  denotes  a  piece  of 
money,  and  not  a  lamb,  as  it  is  ren- 
dered by  the  Vulgate,  the  LXX,  the 
Syriac,  the  Arabic,  and  by  Onkelos, 


are  briefly,  (1 .)  That  in  more  than  an 
hundred  places  where  reference  is 
made  in  the  Scriptures  to  a  lamb  or  a 
sheep,  tills  word  is  not  used.  Other 
words  are  constantly  employed.  (2.) 
The  testimony  of  the  Rabbins  is 
uniform  that  it  denotes  a  piece  of 
money.  Rabbi  Akiba  says  that  when 
he  travelled  into  Africa  he  found 
ihere  a  coin  which  thev  called  kesita. 
So  R.  Solomon,  and  Levi  Ben  Ger- 
son,  in  their  conmientaries,  and  Kim- 
clii,  Pomarius,  and  Aquinas,  in  their 
I^exicons.  (3)  The  authority  of  the 
Masorites  in  relation  to  the  Hebrew 
word  is  the  same.  According  to  Bo- 
chart the  word  is  the  same  as  ^'^i^, 
kashat,  or  ^^P,  koshet,  changing  ttJ 
for  "O.  The  word  means  true,  sin- 
cere, Ps.  Ix.  6.  Prov.  xxii.  21.  Ac- 
cording to  this,  the  name  was  given 
to  the  coin  because  it  was  made  of 
pure  metal — unadulterated  silver  or 
gold.  See  this  argument  at  length  in 
Bochart.  (4.)  The  feminine  form  of 
the  noun  used  here  shows  that  it 
does  not  mean  a  lamb — it  being 
wholly  improbable  that  the  friends 
of  Job  would  send  him  ewe  lambs 
only.  (5.)  In  the  early  times  of  the 
patriarchs — as  early  as  the  time  of 
Jacob — money  v^'as  in  common  use, 
and  the  afl'airs  of  merchandise  were 
conducted  by  that  as  a  medium,  Gen. 
xvii.  12,  13,  xlvii.  16.  (6)  The 
statement  in  Acts  vii.  16,  leads  to  the 
supposition  that  moncij  is  referred  to 
by  the  word  as  used  in  Gen.  xxxiii. 
19.  If,  as  is  there  supposed,  the  pur- 
chase of  the  same  field  is  referred  to 
in  Gen.  xxiii.  16  and  xxiii.  lit,  then 
it  is  clear  that  money  is  referred  to 
by  the  word.  In  Gen.  xxiii.  16  it  is 
said  that  Abraham  paid  for  the  field 
of  Ephron  in  Macpelah  "four  hun- 
dred shekels  of  silver,  current  money 
with  the  merchant."  And  if  the 
same  purchase  is  referred  to  in  both 
these  places,  then  by  a  comparison 
of  the  two,  it  appears  that  the  kesita 
was  heavier  than  tlie  shekel,  and 
contained  about  four  shekels.  It  is 
not  easy,  however,  to  determine  its 
value.      IT  And  every  one  an  ear-ring 


CHAPTER  XLII. 


303 


12  So  "the  Lord  blessed  the 
latter  end  of  Job  more  than  his 
beginning  :  for  he  had  ''  fourteen 
thousand  sheep,  and  six  thousand 


a  De.  8.  16.  c.  8.  7.  Ja.  5.  11. 


6  c.  1.  3. 


of  gold.  The  word  rendered  '  ear- 
ring '  (C?.3)  may  mean  a  ring  for  the 
nose  (Gen.  xxiv.  47.  Isa.  iii.  21. 
Prov.  xi.  22.  Hos.  ii.  13),  as, well  as 
for  the  ear,  Gen.  xxxv.  4.  The  word 
rinir  would  better  express  the  sense 
here,  witiioiit  specifying  its  particular 
use.  Comp.  Judg.  viii.  24,  27>.  Prov. 
xx\-.  12.  Ornaments  of  this  kind 
were  much  worn  by  the  ancients 
(comp.  Isa.  iii.  Gen.  xxiv.  22),  and 
a  contribution  of  these  from  each  one 
of  the  friends  of  Job  would  con- 
stitute a  valuable  property.  Comp. 
Ex.  xxxii.  2,  3.  It  was  not  uncom- 
mon for  friends  thus  to  bring  presents 
to  one  who  was  restored  from  great 
ralamity.  See  the  case  of  Hezekiah, 
I  Chron.  xxxii.  23. 

12.  So  the  LoKD  blessed  the  latter 
md  of  Job.  To  wit,  bv  giving  him 
iouble  what  he  had  possessed  before 
.lis  calamities  came  upon  him.  See 
'.•er.  10.  IT  For  he  had  fourteen  thou- 
uind  sheep,  &c.  The  possessions 
»viiich  are  here  enumerated  are  in 
?ach  instance  just  twice  as  much  as 
he  possessed  in  the  early  part  of  his 
life.  In  regard  to  their  value,  and 
the  rank  in  society  which  they  indi- 
cated, see  Notes  on  cli.  i.  3.  Tiie 
only  thing  which  is  omitted  here,  and 
which  it  is  not  said  was  doubled,  was 
his  '  household,'  or  '  husbandry  '  (ch. 
i.  3,  margin),  but  it  is  evident  that 
this  must  have  been  increased  in  a 
corresponding  manner  to  have  ena- 
bled him  to  keep  and  maintain  such 
flocks  and  herds.  We  are  not  to 
suppose  that  these  were  granted  to 
him  at  once,  but  as  he  lived  an  hun- 
dred and  forty  years  after  his  afflic- 
tions, he  had  ample  time  to  accumu- 
late this  property. 

13.  He  had  also  seven  sons  and 
three  daughters.  The  same  number 
which  he  had  before  his  trials.  No- 
thing is  said  of  his  wife,  or  whether 


camels,  and  a  thousand  yoke  of 
oxen,  and  a  thousand  she-asses. 

13  He    had    also   seven    sons 
and  three  daughters. 

14  And  he  called  tl.e  name  of 

these  children  were,  or  were  not,  by 
a  second  marriage.  The  last  mention 
that  is  made  of  his  wife  is  i<!  ch.  xix. 
17,  where  he  says  that  'his  breath 
was  strange  to  his  wife,  though  he 
entreated  her  for  the  children's  sake 
of  ills  own  body.'  The  character  of 
this  woman  does  not  appear  to  jiave 
been  such  as  to  have  deserved  far- 
ther notice  than  the  fact  that  she 
contributed  greatly  to  increase  the 
calamities  of  her  husband.  It  falls  in 
with  the  design  of  the  book  to  notice 
her  only  in  this  respect,  and  having 
done  this,  the  sacred  writer  makes 
no  farther  reference  to  her.  The 
strong  presumption  is,  that  the  sec- 
ond family  of  children  was  by  a 
second  marriage.  See  Prof.  Lee  on 
Job,  p.  26.  It  would  not,  however, 
have  lallen  in  with  the  usual  manner 
in  which  a  icife  is  mentioned  in  the 
Scriptures,  to  represent  her  removal 
as  in  any  circumstances  a  felicitous 
event,  and,  as  it  could  have  been 
represented  in  no  other  light,  if  it 
had  actually  occurred,  it  is  delicately 
passed  o\er  in  silence.  Even  under 
all  these  circumstances — with  a  for 
mer  wife  who  was  impious  and  un 
feeling  ;  who  served  only  to  aggra- 
vate the  woes  of  her  holy  and  much 
afflicted  husband  ;  who  saw  him  pass 
through  his  trials  without  sympathy 
and  compassion — a  second  marriage 
is  not  mentioned  as  a  desirable  event, 
nor  is  it  referred  to  as  one  of  the 
grounds  on  which  Job  could  felicitate 
himself  on  his  return  to  prosperity. 
The  children  are  mentioned  ;  the 
whole  reference  to  the  second  mar- 
riage relation,  if  it  occurred,  is  deli- 
cately passed  over.  Under  no  cir- 
cumstances would  the  sacred  penman 
mention  it  as  an  event  laying  the 
ground  for  felicitation. 

14.  .^nd  he  called  the  name  of  the 
first,  Jemima.      It  is  remarkable  that 


304 


JOB. 


the  first  Jemima  ;  and  the  name 
•if  the  second,  Kezia  ;   and  the 

in  ihe  former  account  of  tlie  family  of 
Job,   the   names  of  none  of  his  cliil- 
dren   are  mentioned,  and  in  this  ac- 
count   the    names   of  the    daugliters 
only  are  designated.      Jthy  the  names 
of  the  danghters  are  here  specified,  is 
not  intimated.      They  are  significant, 
and  they  are  so  mentioned  as  to  show 
that  they  contributed  greatly  to   the 
iiappiness  of  Job  on  the  return  of  his 
prosperity,  and  were  among  the  chief 
blessings    which    gladdened    his   old 
age.     The  name  Jemima  (rt^"^i)  is 
rendered  by  the  Vulgate  Diem,  and 
by    the    LXX,  'Hiifoav,  Day.     The 
Chaldee     adds     this     remark  :    "  He 
gave  her  the  name  Jemima,  because 
ber  beauty  was  like  the  day."      The 
Vulgate,    Septuagint,    and    Chaldee, 
evidently  regarded  the  name  as  de- 
rived from  CT^,  yo7n,  day,  and  this  is 
the  most  natural  and  obvious  deriva- 
tion.      The     name    thus    conferred 
would    indicate    that    Job    had    now 
emerged  from  the  night  of  affliction, 
and  that  returning  light  shone  again 
on   his  tabernacle.     It  was  usual   in 
the  earliest  periods  to  bestow  names 
because  they  were  significant  of  re- 
turning prosperity  (see  Gen.  iv.  25), 
or    because   they    indicated    hope    of 
what  would  be  in  their  tiuie  (Gen.  v. 
2?),  or  because  they  were  a  pledge  of 
some  permanent  tokens  of  the  divine 
favor.     See    Notes   on   Isa.    viii.   18. 
Thomas  Roe  remarks  (Tnivc's,  42-3), 
that  among  the  Persians  it  is  common 
to  give  names  to  their  daughters  de- 
rived from  spices,   unguents,  pearls, 
and    precious   stones,    or    any    tiling 
which  is  regarded  as  beautiful  or  val- 
uable.       See    RosennUtller,    jIUc    u. 
neue  Morgcnland,    No.  771).     IT  And 
the  name  of  the  second,  Kczia.     The 
name  Kczia  (~^'"^i^)  means  cassia,  a 
bark   resembling  cinnamon,  but  less 
aromatic.       Gcsciiius        It   grew    in 
Arabia,  and  was  used  as  a  perfume. 
The  Chaldee  Paraphrast  explains  this 
as    meaning    that    he   gave   her    this 
name  because  "  she  was  as  precious 


name   of  the  third,   Keren -hap- 
puch. 

as  cassia."  Cassia  is  mentioned  in 
Ps.  xlv.  8  as  among  the  precious  per- 
fumes. "All  thy  garments  smell  of 
myrrh,  and  aloes,  and  cassia."  The 
agreeableness  or  pleasantness  of  the 
perfume  was  the  reason  why  the 
name  was  chosen  to  be  given  to  a 
daughter.  H  And  the  name  of  the 
third,  Kcren-happuch.  Properlv, 
'  horn  of  stibium.'  The  stibium  (T(^3, 
purh),  was  a  paint  or  dye  made  origi- 
nally, it  is  supposed,  from  sea-weed, 
and  afterwards  from  antimony,  with 
which  females  tinged  their  eye-lashes. 
See  Notes  on  Isa.  liv.  11.  It  was 
esteemed  as  an  ornament  of  great 
beauty,  chiefiy  because  it  served  to 
make  the  eye  appear  larger.  Large 
eyes  are  considered  in  the  East  as 
a  mark  of  beauty,  and  the  painting  of 
black  borders  around  them  gives 
them  an  enlarged  appearance.  It  is 
remarkable  that  this  species  of  orna- 
ment was  known  so  early  as  the  time 
of  Job,  and  this  is  one  of  the  cases, 
constantly  occurring  in  the  East, 
showing  that  fashions  there  do  not 
change.  It  is  also  remarkable  that 
the  fact  of  painting  in  this  manner 
should  have  been  considered  so  re- 
spectable as  to  be  incorporated  into 
the  name  of  a  daughter ;  and  this 
shows  that  there  was  no  attempt  at 
concealing  tiie  habit.  This  also  ac- 
cords with  the  customs  which  prevail 
still  in  the  East.  With  us,  the  ma- 
terials and  instruments  of  personal 
adorning  are  kept  in  the  back-ground, 
but  the  Orientals  obtrude  them  con- 
stantly on  the  attention,  as  objects 
adapted  to  suggest  agreeable  ideas. 
The  process  of  painting  the  eye  is 
described  by  a  recent  traveller  to  be 
this  :  "  The  eye  is  closed,  and  a  small 
ebony  rod  smeared  with  the  composi- 
tion is  squeezed  between  the  lids  so 
as  to  tinge  the  edges  with  the  color. 
This  is  considered  to  add  greatly  to 
the  brilliancy  and  power  of  the  eve, 
and  lo  deepen  the  effect  of  the  long 
black  eye-lashes  of  which  the  Orien- 
tals  are   proud.     The   same  drug    is 


CHAPTER  XLII. 


305 


15  And  in  all  the  land  were 
no  women  found  so  fair  as  the 
daughters  of  Job  :  and  their 
father  gave  them  inheritance 
among  their  brethren. 

employed  on  their  eye-brows  ;  used 
thus,  it  is  intended  to  elongate,  not 
to  elevate  the  arc,  so  that  tlie  inner 
extremities  are  usually  represented 
as   meeting  between    the  eyes.     To 


16  After  this  lived  Job  an 
hundred  and  forty  years,  and 
saw  his  sons,  and  his  sons'  sons, 
even  four  generations. 


Europeans  the  effect  is  at  first  seldom 
pleasing;  but  it  soon  becomes  so." 
The  following  cuts  will  give  a  repre- 
sentation of  the  ancient  vessels  of 
stibium  and  those  now  in  use  : 


Ancient  Vessel  and  Probe. 


Modern  utensils  for  painting  the  eyes. 


15.  .^jtd  their  father  gave  them  in- 
heritance among  their  brethren.  This 
is  mentioned  as  a  proof  of  his  special 
regard,  and  is  also  recorded  because 
it  was  not  couinion.  Among  the 
Hebrews  the  daughter  inherited  only 
in  the  case  where  there  was  no  son. 
Num.  xxviii.  8.  The  property  was 
divided  equally  among  the  sons,  with 
the  exception  that  the  eldest  received 
a  double  portion.  See  Jalin's  Bih. 
£rch.  §  1G8.  This  custom,  prevailing 
still  extensively  in  the  East,  it  seems 
existed  in  the  time  of  Job,  and  it  is 
mentioned  as  a  remarkable  circum- 
stance that  he  made  his  daughters 
heirs  to  his  property  with  their  bro- 
thers. It  would  also  be  rather  im- 
plied in  the  passage  before  us  that 
they  were  equal  heirs. 

16.  J}fter  this  Job  lived  an  hiaidred 
and  fortij  ijears.  As  his  age  at  the 
time  his  calamities  commenced  is  not 
mentioned,  it  is  of  course  impossible 
to  determine  how  old  he  was  when 


he  died.  The  LXX,  however,  have 
undertaken  to  determine  this,  but  on 
what  authority  is  unknown.  They 
render  this  verse,  "And  Job  lived 
after  this  affliction  an  hundred  and 
seventy  years  :  so  that  all  the  years 
that  he  lived  were  two  hundred  and 
forty."  According  to  this,  his  age 
would  have  been  seventy  when  his 
afflictions  came  upon  him  ;  but  this 
is  a  mere  conjectii^e.  Why  the  au- 
!  tiiors  of  that  version  have  added 
thirty  years  to  the  time  which  he 
lived  after  his  calamities,  making  it 
an  hundred  and  seventy  instead  of  an 
hundred  and  forty  as  it  is  in  the  He 
brew  text,  is  unknown.  The  suppo- 
sition that  he  was  about  seventy 
years  of  age  when  his  calamities 
came  upon  him,  is  not  an  unreason- 
able one.  He  had  a  family  of  ten 
children,  and  his  sons  were  grown  so 
as  to  have  families  of  their  own.  Ch. 
i.  4.  It  should  be  remembered,  also, 
that   in  the  patriarchal  times,  when 


306 


JOB. 


17  So    Job    died, "  being  old 


men  lived  to  a  great  age,  marriages  did 
not  occur  at  so  early  a  period  of  life 
as  they  do  now.  In  this  hook,  also, 
tliough  the  age  of  Joh  is  not  men- 
tioned, yet  the  uniform  representation 
of  him  is  that  of  a  man  of  mature 
years  ;  of  large  e.xperience  and  ex- 
tended observation  ;  of  one  who  liad 
enjoyed  higli  honor  and  a  wide  repu- 
tation as  a  sage  and  a  magistrate  ; 
and  when  these  circumstances  are 
taken  into  the  account,  the  supposi- 
tion of  the  translators  of  the  Septua- 
gint,  that  he  was  seventy  years  old 
when  his  afHictions  commenced,  is 
not  improbable.  If  so,  his  age  at  his 
death  was  two  hundred  and  ten  years. 
The  age  to  wliich  he  lived  is  men- 
tioned as  remarkable,  and  was  evi- 
dently somewhat  extraordinary.  It 
is  not  proper,  therefore,  to  assume 
that  this  was  the  ordinary  length  of 
human  life  at  that  time,  though  it 
would  be  equally  improper  to  suppose 
that  tliere  was  any  thing  like  miracle 
in  the  case.  The  fair  interpretation 
is,  that  he  reached  the  period  of  old 
age  which  was  then  deemed  most 
honorable  ;  that  he  was  permitted  to 
arrive  at  what  was  then  regarded  as 
the  outer  limit  of  human  life  ;  and  if 
this  be  so,  it  is  not  difHcult  to  deter- 
mine about  tlie  time  when  he  lived. 
The  length  of  human  life,  after  the 
flood,  suft'ered  a  somewhat  regular 
decline,  until,  in  the  time  of  Aloses, 
it  was  fixed  at  about  threescore  years 
and  ten.  Ps.xc.lO.  The  following 
instances  will  show  the  regularity  of 
the  decline,  and  enable  us,  with 
some  degree  of  probabilit}-,  to  deter- 
mine the  period  of  the  world  in 
which  Job  lived.  Noah  lived  950 
years  ;  Shem,  his  son,  600  ;  Arphax- 
ad,  his  son,  438  vears  ;  Salah,  4.33 
years;  Eber,  464  ;  "Peleg,  239  ;  Reu, 
239;  Serug,  230;  Nahor,  248  ;  Terah, 
20.5;  Abraham,  175;  Isaac,  180  ;  Ja- 
cob, 147;  Joseph,  110;  Moses,  120  ; 
Joshua,  110.  Supposing,  then,  the  age 
of  Job  to  have  been  somewhat  unusual 
and    extraordinary,  it  would   fall   in  ' 


and  full  of  days. 


with  the  period  somewhere  in  the  time 
between  Terah  and  Jacob  ;  and  if  si>, 
he  was  probably  contemporary  with 
the  most  distinguished  of  the  patri- 
archs. \\  .ind  sav;  his  sons ^&.c.  To 
see  one's  posterity  advancing  in 
years  and  honor,  and  extending 
themselves  in  the  earth,  was  regard- 
ed as  a  signal  honor  and  a  p-roof  of 
the  divine  favor  in  the  early  ages. 
Gen.  xlviii.  ]],  "And  Israel  said 
unto  Joseph,  I  had  not  thought  to 
see  thy  face  ;  and  lo,  God  hath  also 
sliovved  me  tli}'  seed."  Prov.  xvii. 
6,  "  Cliildren's  children  are  the  crown 
of  old  men.'"  Ps.  cxxviii.  6,  "Yea, 
thou  slialt  see  thy  cliildren's  chil- 
dren." Comp.  Ps  cxxvii.  .5.  Gen.  xii. 
2,  xvii.  5,  6.  Job  v.  2.5,  and  Notes  on 
Isa.  liii.  10. 

17.  So  Joh  died,  being  old  and  full 
of  days.  Having  filled  up  the  ordi- 
nary term  of  human  life  at  that  period 
of  the  world.  He  reached  an  hon- 
ored old  age,  and  when  he  died  was 
not  prematurely  cut  down.  He  was 
regarded  as  an  old  man.  The  trans- 
lators of  the  Septuagint,  at  the  close 
of  their  version,  make  the  following 
addition  :  "And  it  is  written  that  he 
will  rise  again  with  those  whom  the 
Lord  will  raise  up.  This  is  translated 
out  of  a  Syrian  book.  He  dwelt  in- 
deed in  the  land  of  Ausitis,  on  the 
confines  of  Idumea  and  Arabia.  His 
first  name  was  Jobab  ;  and  having 
married  an  Arabian  woman,  he  had 
by  h.er  a  son  whose  name  was  En- 
non.  He  was  himself  a  son  of  Zare, 
one  of  the  sons  of  Esau  ;  and  his 
mother's  name  was  Bosorra  ;  so  that 
he  vv'as  the  fifth  in  descent  from 
Abraham.  And  these  were  the  kings 
who  reigned  in  Edom,  over  which 
country  he  also  bore  rule.  The  first 
was  Balak,  the  son  of  Beor,  and  the 
name  of  his  city  was  Dannaba.  And 
after  Balak,  Jobab,  who  is  called 
Job  ;  and  after  liim,  Asom,  who  was 
governor  (ijyf/ioh')  from  the  region  of 
Thaimanitis  ;  and  after  him,  Adad, 
son  of  Barad,  who  smote  Madian  in 


CHAPTER  XLll. 


307 


the  plain  of  Moab  ;  and  the  name  of 
his  city  was  Gethain.  And  tlie 
friends  who  came  to  him  were  Eli- 
pliaz  of  the  sons  of  Esan,  the  king  of 
the  Thaimanites  ;  Bihiad,  the  sove- 
reign {Ti'oafi'cx;)  of  the  Saiicheans  ; 
and  SophW,  the  idng  of  the  Manai- 
ans."  What  is  tlie  authority  for  this 
statement  is  now  entirely  unknown, 
nor  is  it  known  whence  it  was  de- 
rived.    The  remark  with  which  it  is 


introduced,  that  it  is  wiitten  that  he 
would  be  raised  up  again  in  the  resur 
rection,  looks  as  if  it  were  a  forgery 
made  afler  tlic  coining  of  the  Saviour, 
and  has  nuich  the  ajipearance  of 
being  an  attempt  to  supj)ort  the  doc- 
trine of  tiie  resurrection  by  the  autho- 
rity of  this  ancient  book.  It  is,  at  all 
events,  an  unauthorized  addition  to 
the  book,  as  nothing  like  it  occurs  in 
the  Hebrew. 


CONCLUDING   REMARKS. 


We  have  now  gone  through  with 
an  exposition  of  the  most  ancient 
book  in  the  world,  and  the  most  diffi- 
cult one  in  the  sacred  volume.  We 
have  seen  how  sagacious  men  reason 
on  the  mysterious  events  of  Divine 
I'rovidence,  and  how  little  light  can 
be  thrown  on  the  ways  of  God  by  the 
profoiindest  thinking,  or  the  acutest 
observation.  We  have  seen  a  good 
man  subjected  to  severe  trials  by  tlie 
loss  of  all  his  property  and  children, 
by  a  painful  and  loathsome  disease, 
1)V  acute  mental  sorrows,  by  the  re- 
proaches of  his  wife,  by  t!ie  estrange- 
ment of  his  surviving  kindred,  and 
then  by  the  labored  efforts  of  his 
friends  to  prove  that  he  was  a  hypo- 
crite, and  that  all  his  calamities  had 
come  upon  him  as  a  demonstration 
that  he  was  at  heart  a  bad  man.  We 
have  seen  that  man  struggling  with 
those  arguments  ;  embarrassed  and 
perplexed  by  their  ingenuity  ;  tor- 
tured by  the  keenness  of  the  re- 
proaches of  his  friends  ;  and  under 
the  excitement  of  his  feelings,  and 
the  pressure  of  his  woes,  giving  vent 
to  expressions  of  impatience  and  irre- 
verent reflection  on  the  government 
of  God,  which  he  afterwards  had  oc- 
casion abundantly  to  regret.  We 
have  seen  that  man  brought  safely 
through  all  his  trials  ;  showing  that, 
after  all  that  they  Jiad  said  and  that 


kr  had  said  and  suffered,  he  was  a 
good  man.  We  have  seen  the  divine 
interposition  in  his  favor  at  the  close 
of  the  controversy  ;  the  divine  appro- 
bation of  his  general  character  and 
spirit  ;  and  the  divine  goodness 
shown  him  in  the  removal  of  his 
calamities,  in  his  restoration  to  liealth, 
in  the  beslowment  on  him  of  double 
his  former  possessions  ;  and  in  the 
lengthening  out  his  days  to  an  hon- 
ored old  age.  In  liis  latter  days  we 
have  seen  his  friends  coming  around 
him  again  with  returning  affection 
and  confidence  ;  and  a  happy  family 
growing  up  to  cheer  him  in  his  de- 
clining j'ears,  and  to  make  him  hon- 
ored in  the  earth.  In  view  of  all 
these  things,  and  especially  of  the 
statements  in  the  chapter  whicii  clo- 
ses the  book,  we  may  make  the  fol- 
lowing remarks  : 

(1.)  The  upright  will  be  ultimately 
honored  by  God  and  man.  God  may 
bring  afflictions  upon  tiiem,  and  they 
may  sf.cm  to  be  objects  of  his  displea- 
sure ;  but  the  period  will  arrive  when 
he  will  show  them  marks  of  his  fa- 
vor. This  may  not  alicaijs,  indeed, 
be  in  the  present  life,  but  there  will 
be  a  period  when  all  these  clouds 
will  be  dissipated,  and  when  the 
good,  the  pious,  the  sincere  friends 
of  God,  shall  enjoy  the  returning  to- 
kens of  his  friendship.     If  his  appro 


308 


JOB. 


bation  of  them  is  declared  in  no 
intelligible  way  in  this  life,  it  will  be 
at  the  day  of  judgment  in  a  more 
sublime  manner  even  than  it  was 
announced  to  Job  ;  if  the  whole  of 
this  life  should  be  dark  with  storms, 
)'et  there  is  a  heaven  where,  through 
eternity,  there  will  be  pure  and  un- 
clouded day.  In  like  manner,  honor 
will  be  ultimately  shown  to  the  good 
and  just  by  the  world.  At  present 
friends  may  withdraw  ;  enemies  may 
be  multiplied  ;  suspicions  may  attach 
to  a  man's  name  ;  calumny  and  slan- 
der may  come  over  his  reputation 
like  a  mist  from  the  ocean.  But 
things  will  ultimately  work  them- 
selves right.  A  man  in  the  end  will 
have  all  the  reputation  which  he 
ought  to  have.  He  who  has  a  char- 
acter that  ought  to  be  loved,  honored, 
and  remembered,  will  be  loved,  hon- 
ored, and  remembered  ;  and  he  who 
has  such  a  character  that  he  ought  to 
be  hated  or  forgotten,  will  be.  It 
may  not  always,  ind.eed,  be  in  the 
present  life  ;  but  there  is  a  current  of 
public  favor  and  esteem  setting  to- 
wards a  good  man  while  living,  which 
thvays  comes  up  to  hiir.  when  he  is 
dead.  The  world  will  do  justice  to 
his  character,  and  a  holy  man,  if  ca- 
lumniated while  he  lives,  may  safely 
commit  his  character  to  God  a.'>d  to 
the  "charitable  speeches"  (Bacon) 
of  men,  and  to  distant  times,  when 
he  dies.  But  in  most  instances,  as  in 
the  case  of  Job,  if  life  is  lengthened 
out,  the  calumniated,  the  reproached, 
and  the  injured,  will  find  justice  done 
them  before  they  die.  Reproaches 
in  early  or  middle  life  will  be  suc- 
ceeded by  a  fair  and  wide  reputation 
in  old  age  ;  the  returning  confidenoe 
of  friends  will  be  all  the  compensa- 
tion wliich  this  world  can  furnish  for 
the  injury  which  was  done,  and  the 
even  ng  of  life  spent  in  the  enjoyment 
of  friendship  and  affection,  will  but 
precede  the  entrance  on  a  better  life, 
to  be  spent  in  the  eternal  friendship 
of  God  and  of  all  holy  beings. 

(2.)  We  should  adhere  to  our  in- 
tegrity when  passing  through  trials. 
They  may  be  long  and  severe.     The 


storm  that  rolls  over  us  may  be  ve»y 
dark,  and  the  lightning's  flash  may 
be  vivid,  and  the  thunder  deep  and 
long.  Our  friends  may  withdraw 
and  reproach  us  ;  those  who  should 
console  us  may  entreat  us  to  curse 
God  and  die  ;  one  woe  nny  succeed 
another  in  rapid  succession,  and  each 
successive  stroke  be  heavier  than  the 
last;  vears  may  roll  on  in  which  ue 
may  find  no  comfort  or  peace  ;  but 
we  should  not  despair.  We  should 
not  let  go  onr  integrity.  We  should 
not  blame  our  Maker.  We  should 
not  allow  the  language  of  complaint 
or  murmuring  to  pass  our  lips,  nor 
ever  doubt  tliat  God  is  good  and  true. 
There  is  a  good  rea>on  for  all  that  he 
does  ;  and  in  due  time  we  shall  meet 
the  recompense  of  our  trials  and  our 
fidelity.  No  pious  and  submissfve 
sufferer  ever  yet  failed  of  ultimately 
receiving  the  tokens  of  the  divine 
favor  and  love. 

(3.)  The  expressions  of  divine  fa- 
vor and  love  are  not  to  be  expected  in 
the  midst  of  angry  controversy  and 
heated  debate.  Neither  Job  nor  his 
friends  appear  to  have  enjoyed  com- 
munion with  God,  or  to  have  tasted 
much  of  the  happiness  of  religion, 
while  the  controversy  was  going  on. 
They  were  excited  by  the  discussion  ; 
the  argument  was  the  main  thing  ; 
and  on  both  sides  thev  gave  vent  to 
emotions  that  were  little  consistent 
with  the  reigning  love  of  God  in  the 
heart,  and  with  the  enjoyment  ol 
religion.  There  were  high  words 
mutual  criminations  and  recrimina- 
tions ;  strong  doubts  expressed  about 
the  sincerity  and  purity  of  each 
other's  character;  and  many  things 
were  said  on  both  sides,  as  there 
usually  is  in  such  cases,  derogatory 
to  the  character  and  government  of 
God.  It  was  onlv  after  the  argumenl 
was  closed,  and  the  disputants  were 
silenced,  that  God  appeared  in  mercy 
to  them,  and  imparted  to  them  the 
tokens  of  his  favor.  Theological 
combatants  usually  enjoy  little  reli- 
gion. In  stormy  debate  and  heated 
discussion  there  is  usually  little  com- 
munion with   God   and  little  enjoy- 


CHAPTER  XLIl. 


309 


ment  of  true  piety.  It  is  rare  tiiat 
siicJi  discussions  are  carried  on  with- 
out engendering  feelings  wholly  hos- 
tile to  religion  ;  and  it  is  rare  that 
siich  a  controversy  is  continued  long, 
in  which  much  is  not  said  on  both 
>iiles  injurious  to  God — in  which 
li;eie  are  not  severe  reflections  on 
ins  government,  and  in  which  opin- 
iiMis  are  not  advanced  which  give 
alyuiidant  occasion  for  bitter  regret, 
lu  a  heated  argument  a  man  becomes 
insensibly  more  concerned  for  the 
success  of  his  cause  than  for  the  hon- 
or of  God,  and  will  often  advance 
sentiments  even  severely  reflecting 
on  the  divine  government,  rather 
than  confess  the  weakness  of  his  ow  n 
cause,  and  yield  the  point  in  debate. 
In  sucli  times  it  is  not  an  inconceiv- 
able thing  that  even  good  men  should 
be  more  anxious  to  maintain  their 
own  opinions  than  to  vindicate  the 
cause  of  God,  and  would  be  more 
willing  to  express  hard  sentiments 
about  their  Maker  than  to  acknow- 
ledge their  own  defeat. 

(4.)  From  the  chapter  before  us 
(xlii.  11),  we  are  presented  with  an 
interesting  fact,  such  as  often  occurs. 
It  is  this  :  friends  return  to  us,  and 
become  exceedingly  kind  after  cala- 
mity lias  passed  by.  The  kindred 
and  acquaintances  of  Job  withdrew 
when  liis  afflictions  were  heavy  upon 
him  ;  they  returned  only  with  re- 
turning prosperity.  When  afflicted, 
they  lost  their  interest  in  him.  Many 
of  them,  perhaps,  had  been  depend- 
ent on  him,  and  when  his  property 
was  gone,  and  he  could  no  longer  aid 
them,  they  disappeared  of  course. 
Manv  of  them,  perhaps,  professed 
friendship  for  him  because  he  was  a 
man  of  rank,  and  property,  and 
honor  ;  and  when  he  was  reduced  to 
j)overtv  and  wretchedness,  they  also 
disappeared  of  course.  Many  of 
tliem,  perhaps,  had  regarded  him  as 
a  man  of  piety  ;  but  when  these  ca- 
lamities came  upon  him,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  common  sentiments  of 
the  age,  they  regarded  him  as  a  bad 
man,  and  they  also  withdrew  from 
liim   of  course.     When    there    were 


evidences  of  returning^  prosperity, 
and  of  the  renewed  favor  of  God, 
tliese  friends  and  acquaintances  again 
returned.  Some  of  them  doubtless 
came  back  because  he  was  thus  re- 
stored. "Swallow-friends,  that  are 
gone  in  the  winter,  will  return  in  the 
spring,  though  their  friendship  is  of 
little  value."  Henrij.  That  jjortiou 
of  them  who  had  been  sincerely  at- 
tached to  him  as  a  good  man,  though 
their  confidence  in  his  piety  had 
been  shaken  by  his  calamities,  now 
returned,  doubtless  with  sincere 
hearts,  and  disposed  to  do  him  good. 
They  contributed  to  his  wants;  they 
helped  him  to  begin  the  world  again  ; 
they  were  the  means  of  laying  the 
foundation  of  his  future  prosperity  ; 
and  in  a  time  of  real  need  their  aid 
was  valuable,  and  they  did  all  tliat 
they  could  to  minister  consolation  to 
the  man  who  had  been  so  sorely 
afflicted.  In  adversity,  it  is  said,  a 
man  will  know  who  are  his  real 
friends.  If  this  is  true,  then  this  dis- 
tinguished and  holy  patriarch  had 
few  friends  who  were  truly  attached 
to  him,  and  who  were  not  bound  to 
him  by  some  consideration  of  selfish- 
ness. Probably  this  is  always  the 
case  with  those  who  occupy  promi- 
nent and  elevated  situations  in  life. 
True  friendship  is  oftenest  found  in 
humble  walks  and  in  lowly  vales. 

(•5.)  We  should  overcome  the  un- 
kindness  of  our  friends  by  praying 
for  them.  See  Notes  on  cli.  xlii.  8, 
10.  Tills  is  the  true  way  of  meeting 
harsh  reproaches  and  unkind  reflec- 
tions on  our  character.  Whatever 
may  be  the  severity  with  which  we 
are  treated  by  others  ;  whatever 
cliarges  they  may  bring  against  us  of 
hypocrisy  or  wickedness  ;  however 
ingenious  may  be  their  arguments  to 
prove  this,  or  however  cutting  their 
sarcasm  and  retorts,  we  should  never 
refuse  to  pray  for  them.  We  should 
always  be  willing  to  seek  the  bless- 
ing of  God  upon  them,  and  be  ready 
to  bear  them  on  our  hearts  before  the 
throne  of  mercy.  It'  is  one  of  the 
privileges  of  good  men  thus  to  pray 
fjr  their  calumniators  and  slanderei  s  ; 


310 


JOB. 


and  one  of  our  highest  honors,  and  it 
may  be  the  source  of  our  highest 
joys,  is  that  of  being  made  the  instru- 
ments of  calling  down  the  divine 
blessing  on  those  who  iiave  injured 
us.  It  is  not  that  we  delight  to  tri- 
umph over  them  ;  it  is  not  that  we 
are  now  proud  that  wc  have  the  evi- 
dence of  divine  favor  ;  it  is  not  that 
we  exult  that  they  are  humbled,  and 
that  we  now  aie  exalted  ;  it  is  that 
we  may  be  the  means  of  permanent 
happiness  to  those  who  have  greatly 
injured  us. 

(6.)  Tlie  last  days  of  a  good  man 
are  nut  unfrequently  his  best  and 
happiest  days.  The  early  part  of  his 
life  may  be  harassed  with  cares  ;  the 
middle  may  be  filled  up  with  trials  ; 
but  returning  prosperity  niay  smile 
upon  his  old  age,  and  his  sun  go 
down  without  a  cloud.  His  heart 
may  be  weaned  from  the  world  by 
his  trials  ;  his  true  friends  may  have 
been  ascertained  by  their  adhering  to 
him  in  reverses  of  fortune,  and  the 
favor  of  God  may  so  crown  the  eve- 
ning of  his  life,  that  to  him,  and  to 
all,  it  shall  be  evident  that  he  is 
ripening  for  glory.  God  is  often 
pleased  also  to  impart  unexpected 
comforts  to  his  friends  in  their  old 
age  ;  and  though  they  have  suffered 
much  and  lost  much,  and  thought 
that  they  should  never  "again  see 
good,"  yet  he  often  disappoints  the 
expectations  of  his  people,  and  the 
most  prosperous  times  come  when 
they  thought  all  their  comforts  were 
dead.  In  the  trials  through  which  we 
pass  in  life,  it  is  not  improper  to  look 
forward  to  brighter  and  better  days, 
as  to  be  yet  possibly  our  portion  in 
this  world  ;  at  all  events,  if  we  are 
the  friends  of  God,  we  may  look  for- 
ward to  certain  and  enduring  happi- 
ness in  the  world  that  is  to  come. 

(7.)  The  book,  through  whose  ex- 
position we  have  now  passed,  is  a 
most  beautiful  and  invaluable  argu- 
ment. It  relates  to  the  most  impor- 
tant subject  that  can  come  before  our 
minds — the  government  of  God,  and 
the  principles  on  which  his  adminis- 
trat'on  is  conducted.     It  shows  how 


this  appeared  to  the  reflecting  men  of 
the  earliest  times.  It  shows  how 
their  minds  were  perplexed  with  it, 
and  what  difficulties  attended  the 
subject  after  the  most  careful  observa- 
tion. In  shows  how  little  can  be 
accomplished  in  removing  those  difh- 
culties  by  human  reasoning,  and  how 
little  light  the  most  careful  observa- 
tion, and  the  most  sagacious  reflec- 
tions, can  throw  on  this  perplexing 
subject.  Arguments  more  beautiful, 
illustrations  more  happy,  sentiments 
more  terse  and  profound,  and  views 
of  God  more  large  and  comprehen- 
sive, than  those  which  occur  in  thig 
book,  can  be  found  in  no  works  ol 
philosophy  ;  nor  has  the  human  mind 
in  its  own  eflorts  ever  gone  beyond 
the  reasonings  of  these  sages  in  cast- 
ing light  on  the  mysterious  ways  ol 
God.  They  brought  to  the  investiga- 
tion the  wisdom  collected  by  their 
fathers  and  preserved  in  proverbs  ; 
they  brought  the  results  of  the  long 
reflection  and  observation  of  their 
own  minds ;  and  yet  they  threw 
scarce  a  ray  of  light  on  the  myste- 
rious subject  before  them,  and  at  the 
close  of  their  discussions  we  feel  that 
the  whole  question  is  just  as  much 
involved  in  mystery  as  ever.  So  we 
feel  at  the  end  of  all  the  arguments 
of  man  without  the  aid  of  revelation, 
on  the  great  subjects  pertaining  to  tiie 
divine  government  over  this  world. 
The  reasonings  of  pliilosophy  now 
are  no  more  satisfactory  than  were 
those  of  Eliphaz,  Zophar,  and  Bildad, 
and  it  may  be  doubted  whether,  since 
this  book  was  written,  the  slightest 
advance  has  been  made  in  removing 
the  perplexities  on  the  subject  of  the 
divine  administration,  so  beautifully 
stated  in  the  book  of  Job. 

(8.)  The  reasonings  in  this  book 
show  the  desirableness  and  the  value 
of  revelation.  It  is  to  be  remembered 
that  the  place  which  the  reasonings 
in  this  book  should  be  regarded  as 
occupying,  is  properly  before  any 
revelation  had  been  given  to  n)en,  or 
before  any  was  recorded.  If  it  is  the 
most  ancient  book  in  the  world,  this 
is  clear  ;  and   in   the  volume  of  re- 


CHAPTER  XLII. 


311 


Tealed  truth  it  should  be  regarded  as 
occupying  the  first  place  in  the  order 
in  whicii  the  books  of  revelation 
were  given  to  man.  As  introductory 
to  the  whole  volume  of  revelation — 
tor  so  it  should  be  considered — the 
book  of  Job  is  of  inestimable  worth 
and  iuij)ortance.  It  shows  how  little 
advance  the  human  mind  can  make 
in  questions  of  the  deepest  im])or- 
tance,  and  what  painfLil  perplexity  is 
loft  ailer  all  the  investigations  that 
man  can  make.  It  shows  what 
clouds  of  obscurity  rest  on  the  mind 
whenever  man  by  himself  undertakes 
to  explain  and  unfold  the  purposes  of 
Deity.  It  shows  how  little  philoso- 
j)hy  and  careful  observation  can  ac- 
(■om])lish  to  explain  the  m}steries  of 
the  divine  dealings,  and  to  give  tlie 
mind  solid  peace  in  the  contempla- 
tion of  the  various  subjects  that  so 
much  perplex  man.  There  was  no 
better  way  of  showing  this  than  that 
adopted  here.  A  great  and  good  man 
falls.  His  comforts  all  depart.  He 
sinks  to  the  lowest  degree  of  wretch- 
edness. To  explain  this,  and  all 
kindred  subjects,  his  own  mind  is 
taxed  to  the  utmost,  and  four  men  of 
distinguished  sagacity  and  extent  of 
observation  are  introduced — tlie  rep- 
resentatives of  the  wisdom  of  the 
world— to    explain    the    fact.     They 


As  a  specimen  of  early  poetry,  and 
an  illustration  of  the  early  views  of 
science  and  the  state  of  the  arts,  of 
incomparable  beauty  and  Bul)limity, 
also,  this  book  is  invaluable.  Al- 
most four  thousand  years  have  passed 
away  since  this  patriarch  lived,  and 
since  the  arguments  recorded  in  the 
book  were  made  and  recorded.  Men 
have  made  great  advances  since  in 
science  and  the  arts.  The  highest 
efforts,  probably,  of  which  the  human 
mind  is  capable,  liave  since  been 
made  in  the  department  of  poetry, 
and  works  have  been  produced  des- 
tined certainly  to  live  on  to  the  con- 
summation of  all  things.  But  the 
sublimity  and  beauty  of  tiie  poetry  in 
this  book  stand  still  unsurpassed', 
unrivalled.  As  a  mere  specimen  of 
composition,  apart  from  all  the  ques- 
tions of  its  theological  bearing ;  as  the 
oldest  book  in  the  world  ;  as  reflecting 
the  manners,  habits,  and  opinions  ot 
an  ancient  generation  ;  as  illustrating 
more  than  any  other  book  extant  the 
state  of  the  sciences,  the  ancient 
views  of  astronomy,  geology,  geogra- 
phy, natural  history,  and  the  advances 
made  in  the  arts,  this  book  has  a 
higher  value  than  can  be  attaclied  to 
any  other  record  of  the  past,  and  de- 
mands the  profound  attention  of  tliose 
who  would  make  themselves  familiar 


adduce  all  that  they  had  learned  by     with   the  history  of  the  race.     The 


tradition,  and  all  that  their  own  ob- 
servation had  suggested,  and  all  the 
considerations  which  reason  would 
suggest    to    them  ;    but   all    in    vain. 


theologian  should  study  it  as  an  in- 
valuable introduction  to  the  volume 
of  inspired  truth  ;  the  humble  Chris- 
tian, to  obtain  elevated  views  of  God  ; 


They  make  no  advances  in  the  expla-  \  the  philosopher,  to  see  how  little  the 


nation,  and  the  subject  at  the  close  is 
left  as  dark  as  when  they  began. 
Such  an  effect,  and  such  a  train  of 
discussion,  is  admirably  fitted  to  pre- 
pare the  mind  to  welcome  the  teach- 
ings of  revelation,  and  to  be  grateful 
for  that  volume  of  reveabd  truth 
which  casts  such  abundant  light  on 
the  questions  that  so  perplexed  these 
ancient  sages.  Before  the  book  of 
revelation  was  given,  it  was  well  to 
have  on  record  the  result  of  the  best 
efforts  which  man  could  make  to 
explain  the  mysteries  of  the  divine 
administration. 


human  mind  can  accomplisli  on  the 
most  important  of  all  subjects  with- 
out the  aid  of  revelation  ;  the  child  of 
sorrow,  to  learn  the  lessons  of  patient 
submission  ;  the  man  of  science,  to 
know  what  was  understood  in  the  far 
distant  periods  of  the  past  ;  the  man 
of  taste,  as  an  incomparable  specimen 
of  poetic  beauty  and'  sublimity.  It 
will  teach  invaluable  lessons  to  each 
advancing  generation  ;  and  to  the  end 
of  time  true  piety  and  taste  will  find 
consolation  and  pleasure  in  the  study 
of  the  BOOK  OF  Job.  God  grant  that 
this  effort    to   explain    it   may   con 


312 


JOB. 


tribute  to  this  result.     To  that  God     to  prosecute   the  study  with  advan 


who  inclined  my  heart  to  engage 
in  the  attempt  to  explain  this  an- 
cient book,  and  who  has  given  me 
health,  and  strength,  and  the  means 


tage,  I  now  devote  this  exposition. 
I  trust  it  may  do  good  to  others  : 
it  has  been  profitable  and  pleasant 
to  my  own  soul. 


THE    END    OF    THE    NOTES. 


NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  JOB. 

PART   I. 

Chap.  I. 

1  There  was  a  man  in  the  land  of  Uz  whose  name  was  Job. 

2  And  that  man  was  sincere  and  upright ;  and  one  that  feared 

3  God  and  avoided  evil.  And  there  were  born  unto  him  seven 
sons  and  three  daughters.  His  possessions  were  seven  thou- 
sand sheep,  and  three  thousand  camels,  and  five  hundred  yoke 
of  cattle,  and  five  hundred  she-asses,  and  a  very  numerous 
household  ;  so  that  this  man  was  the  greatest  of  all  the  sons  of 
the  East. 

4  And  his  sons  went  and  made  a  feast  in  their  houses,  each  in 
his  day,  and  they  sent  and  invited  their  three  sisters  to  eat 

5  and  drink  with  them.  And  when  the  days  of  feasting  had 
gone  round.  Job  sent  for  them  and  sanctified  them,  and  he  rose 
up  early  in  the  morning,  and  offered  burnt-offerings  accord- 
ing to  ihe  number  of  them  all ;  for  Job  said.  It  may  be  that 
my  sons  have  sinned,  and  have  cursed  God  in  their  hearts. 
Thus  did  Job  constantly. 

6  And  there  was  a  day  when  the  sons  of  God  came  to  present 
themselves  before  Jehovah,  and  Satan  came  also  among  them. 

7  And  Jehovah  said  to  Satan,  From  whence  dost  thou  come  ? 
And  Satan  answered  Jehovah  and  said.  From  rapidly  going 
to  and  fro  in  the  earth,  and  walking  up  and  down  in  it. 

8  And  Jehovah  said  to  Satan,  Hast  thou  attentively  observed  my 
servant  Job?     For  there  is  none  like  him  upon  the  earth,  a 

9  man  sincere  and  upright,  fearing  God,  and  avoiding  evil.  And 
Satan  answered  Jehovah  and  said,  Is  it  for  nothing  that  Job 

10  fears  God?     Hast  thou  not  made  a  hedge  around  him,  and 

around  his  house,  and  around  all  his  possessions  ?     The  work 

of  his  hands  thou  hast  blessed,  and  his  possessions  spread  over 
14 


X  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

H  the  land.   'But  now  only  put  forth  thine  hand  and  smite  all 
12  that  he  possesses,  and  he  will  curse  thee  to  thy  face.     And 

Jehovah  said  to  Satan,  Lo,  all  which  he  has  is  in  thy  power ; 

but  upon  himself  lay   not  thy  hand.     So  Satan  went  forth 

from  the  presence  of  Jehovah. 
1.3  And  the  day  came  when  his  sons  and  his  daughters  were  eat- 

14  ing  and  drinking  wine  in  the  house  of  their  elder  brother  ;  and 
a  messenger  came  to  Job,  and  said,  The  cattle  were  plough- 

15  ing,  and  the  she-asses  feeding  beside  them,  and  the  Sabeans 
rushed  upon  them,  and  took  them  away,  and  slew  the  young 
men  with  the  edge  of  the  sword  ;   and  I  only  am  escaped  by 

16  myself  to  tell  thee.  While  he  was  yet  speaking,  there  came 
also  another,  and  said.  The  fire  of  God  hath  fallen  from  heaven, 
and  burned  up  the  sheep,  and  the  servants,  and  consumed 

17  them  ;  and  I  only  have  escaped  by  myself  to  tell  thee.  While 
he  was  yet  speaking,  there  came  also  another,  and  said.  The 
Chaldeans  made  out  three  bands,  and  rushed  upon  the  camels, 
and  took  them,  and  slew  the  young  men  with  the  edge  of  the 

18  sword  ;  and  I  only  am  escaped  by  myself  to  tell  thee.  And 
while  he  was  yet  speaking,  there  came  also  another  and  said, 
Thy  sons  and  thy  daughters  were  eating,  and  drinking  wine 

19  in  the  house  of  their  elder  brother,  and  lo !  there  came  a  great 
wind  from  across  the  desert,  and  smote  upon  the  four  corners 
of  the  house,  and  it  fell  upon  the  young  men,  and  they  are 

20  dead  ;  and  I  only  am  escaped  by  myself  to  tell  thee.  Then 
Job  arose,  and  rent  his  mantle,  and  shaved  his  head,  and  fell 

21  upon  the  ground,  and  worshipped,  and  said.  Naked  came  I 
forth  from  the  womb  of  my  mother,  and  naked  I  shall  return 
there  !     Jehovah  gave,  and  Jehovah  hath  taken  away  ;   bless- 

22  ed  be  the  name  of  Jehovah.  In  all  this  Job  did  not  sin,  and 
he  attributed  no  wrong  to  God. 

Chap.  II. 

1  And  there  was  a  day  when  the  sons  of  God  came  to  present 
themselves  before  Jehovah,  and  Satan  came  also  among  them, 

2  to  present  himself  also  before  Jehovah.     And  Jehovah  said 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  3 

to  Satan,  Whence  dost  thou  come?     And    Satan    answered 
Jehovah  and  said,  From  rapidly  going  to  and  fro  in  the  earth, 

3  and  walking  up  and  down  in  it.  And  Jehovah  said  to  Satan, 
Hast  thou  attentively  observed  my  servant  Job,  that  there  is 
none  like  him  upon  the  earth,  a  man  sincere  and  upright,  fear- 
ing God  and  avoiding  evil,  and  still  holding  fast  his  in- 
tegrity, although  thou  didst  excite  me  against  him  to  destroy 

4  him  without  cause?  And  Satan  answered  Jehovah  and  said. 
Skin  for  skin  ;   and  all  which  pertains  to  a  man  will  he  give 

5  for  his  life.     But  put  forth  now  thine  hand,  and  smite  his  bone 
G  and  his  flesh,  and  he  will  curse  thee  to  thy  face.     And  Jehovah 

said  unto  Satan,  Behold  he  is  in  thy  hand.     Only  spare  his  life. 

7  And  Satan  went  out  from  the  presence  of  Jehovah,  and  smote 

8  Job  with  a  painful  ulcer  from  the  sole  of  his  foot  unto  his 
crown.  And  he  took  a  piece  of  broken  earthen  ware  to  scrape 
himself  with,  and  he  sat  down  among  the  ashes. 

9  Then  said  his  wife  unto  him.  Dost  thou  still  retain  thine  in- 

10  tegrity  ?  Curse  God,  and  die.  But  he  said  unto  her.  Thou 
talkest  as  one  of  the  foolish  women  talk.  Shall  we  then  re- 
ceive good  from  God,  and  shall  we  not  receive  evil  ?  In  all 
this.  Job  sinned  not  with  his  lips. 

11  Now  three  friends  of  Job  heard  of  all  the  evil  which  had 
befallen  him,  and  they  came  every  man  from  his  home  : 
Eliphaz  the  Temanite,  and  Bildad  the  Shuhite,  and  Zophar 
the  Naamathite.  for  they  had  agreed  to  come  together  to  condole 

12  with  him,  and  to  comfort  him.  And  ihey  lifted  up  their  eyes 
afar  off,  and  they  did  not  know  him.  Then  they  lifted  up  their 
voices  and  wept,  and  they  rent  each  one  his  mantle,  and  they 

13  threw  dust  upon  their  heads  towards  heaven.  And  they  sat 
down  with  him  upon  the  ground  seven  days  and  seven  nights, 
and  no  one  spake  a  word  to  him,  for  they  saw  that  his  grief 
was  very  great. 


PART  II. 

THE  ARGUMENT  OR  CONTROVERSY  IN  VERSE.   Ch.  iii.-xUi.  8L 

The  first  series  in  the  controversy.     Ch.  iii.-xiv. 

THE    COMPLAINT    OF    JOB.       Ch.    iii. 

1  At  length  Job  opened  his  mouth,  and  cursed  his  day. 

2  And  Job  exclaimed  and  said, 

3  O  that  the  day  had  perished  in  which  I  was  born  ; 

And  the  night  which  said,  "  A  male  child  is  conceived  f 

4  That  day — let  it  be  darkness  ! 

Let  not  God  inquire  after  it  from  on  high  ! 
Yea,  let  not  the  light  shine  upon  it ! 

5  Let  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death  pollute  it ; 
Let  a  cloud  dwell  upon  it ; 

Let  whatever  darkens  the  day  render  it  terrible  ! 

6  That  night — let  darkness  seize  upon  it ! 

Let  it  not  rejoice  among  the  days  of  the  year  ! 
Let  it  not  come  into  the  number  of  the  months  • 

7  O  that  night !  let  it  be  desolate  ! 

Let  there  come  in  it  no  sound  of  joy  ! 

8  Let  them  who  curse  the  day  curse  it; 
They  who  are  skilful  to  rouse  up  Leviathan  ! 

9  Let  the  stars  of  its  twUight  be  darkened  ; 
Let  it  long  for  the  light,  and  there  be  none ; 
Neither  let  it  see  the  eye-lids  of  the  morning ! 

IC  Because  it  closed  not  the  doors  of  the  womb  to  me, 
And  caused  not  trouble  to  be  hid  from  mine  eyes  ! 

11  Why  did  I  not  expire  from  my  birth? 

When  I  came  from  the  womb  why  did  I  not  die? 

12  Why  did  the  knees  anticipate  me? 
And  why  the  breasts  that  I  should  suck? 

13  For  now  should  I  lie  down  and  be  quiet; 
I  should  sleep  ;  then  should  I  be  at  rest 


NKW     TKANSI.ATlOiN. 

14  With  kings  and  counsellors  of  the  earth, 
Who  build  lonely  places  for  themselves; 

15  Or  with  princes  that  had  gold, 

And  who  filled  their  houses  with  silver ; 
IG  Or  as  a  hidden  abortion  I  had  not  been, 
As  infants  which  never  saw  the  light. 

17  There  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling : 
And  there  the  weary  are  at  rest. 

18  There  the  prisoners  rest  together; 
They  hear  not  the  voice  of  the  oppressor. 

19  The  small  and  the  great  are  there  ; 
And  the  servant  is  free  from  his  master. 

20  Why  doth  He  give  light  to  him  that  is  in  misery, 
And  life  to  the  bitter  in  spirit ; 

21  Who  long  for  death,  and  it  is  not; 

And  dig  for  it  more  than  for  hid  treasures ; 

22  Who  rejoice  exceedingly — 

Yea,  they  exult  when  they  can  find  a  grave  ? 

23  Why  to  the  man  whose  path  is  hid, 
And  whom  God  hath  hedged  up  1 

24  For  my  sighing  comes  before  I  eat. 

And  my  groans  are  poured  fbrth  as  the  billows. 

25  For  I  had  a  great  dread,  and  it  came  upon  me  ; 
And  what  I  shuddered  at  overlook  me. 

26  I  have  no  peace,  and  I  have  no  quiet,  and  I  have  no  respite. 
And  such  misery  as  makes  me  tremble  comes. 


CHAPTER  IV.  V. 

7%e  first  series  in  the  controversy  continued. 

THE  FIRST  SPEECH  OF  ELIFHAZ  IN  REPLY  TO  JOB. 

1  Then  answered  Eliphaz  the  Temanite  and  said  : 

2  If  one  attempt  a  word  with  thee,  wilt  thou  take  it  ill  t 
Yet  who  can  refrain  from  speaking  ? 


f)  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

3  Lo,  thou  hast  admonished  many. 

And  the  feeble  hands  thou  hast  strengthened  ; 

4  The  stumbling  thy  words  have  upheld, 

And  to  the  feeble  knees  thou  hast  given  strength. 

5  But  now  [affliction]  has  come  upon  thee,  and  thou  faintest; 
It  toucheth  thee,  and  thou  art  troubled. 

6  Is  not  thy  confidence  and  thy  expectation  [founded  on]  thy  fear 

of  God], 
And  on  the  integrity  of  thy  ways  ? 

7  Remember,  I  pray  thee,  who  ever  perished  being  innocent? 
Or  where  were  the  righteous  cut  off? 

8  According  to  what  I  have  seen,  they  who  plough  iniquity, 
And  sow  mischief,  reap  the  same. 

9  By  the  blast  of  God  they  perish, 

And  by  the  breath  of  his  nostrils  are  they  consumed. 

10  The  roaring  of  the  lion  and  the  voice  of  the  fierce  lion  [are 

silenced], 
And  the  teeth  of  the  young  lions  are  broken  out. 

11  The  old  lion  perishes  for  want  of  prey, 

And  the  whelps  of  the  lioness  are  scattered  abroad. 

12  Unto  me  an  oracle  was  secretly  imparted. 
And  mine  ear  caught  a  gentle  whisper  of  it. 

13  In  distracted  thoughts  among  the  visions  of  the  night, 
When  profound  sleep  falleth  upon  men, 

14  Fear  came  upon  me,  and  trembling, 
Which  made  all  my  bones  to  quake. 

15  Then  a  spirit  glided  along  before  my  face. 
The  hair  of  my  flesh  stood  on  end : 

16  It  stood — but  its  form  I  could  not  discern ; 
A  spectre  was  before  mine  eyes ; 

There  was  silence,  and  I  heard  a  voice — 

17  Shall  feeble  man  be  more  just  than  God? 
Shall  man  be  more  pure  than  his  Maker  ? 

18  Behold,  in  his  servants  he  putteth  no  confidence; 
And  his  angels  he  chargeth  with  frailty ; 

19  How  much  more  true  is  this  of  those  who  dwell  in  houses  of  clay, 


NKW    TRANSLATION. 

Whose  foundation  is  in  the  dust ! 

They  are  crushed  before  the  moth-worm ! 

20  Between  morning  and  evening  they  are  destroyed  ; 
Without  any  one  regarding  it  they  perish  forever. 

21  Is  not  the  excellency  that  is  in  them  torn  away? 
They  die  before  they  have  become  wise. 

Chap.  V. 

1  Call  now  !     Is  there  any  one  who  will  respond  to  thee? 
And  to  which  of  the  holy  ones  wilt  thou  look  ? 

2  Truly  wrath  destroyeth  the  fool ; 

And  indignation  kills  the  man  easily  seduced  [to  sin], 

3  I  have  seen  the  fool  taking  root ; 

But  soon  I  pronounced  his  habitation  accursed 

4  His  children  are  far  from  safety ; 

They  are  crushed  in  the  gate,  and  there  is  no  deliverer 

5  His  harvest  the  hungry  man  devours, 
And  even  to  the  thorns  he  seizes  it, 
And  the  thirsty  swallow  up  their  wealth. 

6  For  though  affliction  cometh  not  from  the  dust, 
And  trouble  does  not  sprout  up  from  the  ground ; 

7  For  though  man  is  born  unto  trouble 
As  the  sparks  fly  upward  ; 

8  Nevertheless  I  would  seek  unto  God, 
And  to  God  would  I  commit  my  cause, 

9  Who  doeth  great  things  and  unsearchable. 
Marvellous  things  without  number  ; 

10  Who  giveth  rain  upon  the  face  of  the  [cultivated]  earth. 
And  sendeth  waters  upon  the  ont-places  ; 

11  Who  advances  the  lowly  to  high  places. 
And  the  dejected  are  elevated  to  prosperity  ; 

12  Who  disappointeth  the  purposes  of  the  crafty. 
And  their  hands  cannot  accomplish  their  design  ; 

13  Who  taketh  the  wise  in  their  own  craftiness. 
And  precipitateth  the  counsels  of  intriguers. 

14  They  meet  with  darkness  in  the  day-time, 


8  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

And  grope  at  noon  as  if  it  were  night. 

15  And  he-saveth  from  the  sword,  from  their  mouth, 
And  from  the  hand  of  the  mighty,  the  poor. 

16  So  the  poor  hath  hope. 

And  iniquity  stoppeth  her  mouth. 

17  Behold,  happy  is  the  man  whom  God  correcteth, 
And  the  chastening  of  the  Almighty  do  not  despise, 

18  For  he  bruiseth,  and  he  bindeth  up  ; 
He  woundeth,  and  his  hands  heal. 

19  In  six  troubles  he  will  deliver  thee. 
Yea,  in  seven  evil  shall  not  touch  thee. 

20  In  famine  he  will  redeem  thee  from  death, 
And  in  war  from  the  power  of  the  sword. 

21  From  the  scourge  of  the  tongue  shalt  thou  be  hid. 
Nor  be  afraid  of  devastation  when  it  cometh. 

22  At  devastation,  and  at  famine  thou  shalt  laugh. 
Nor  shalt  thou  dread  the  wild  beasts  of  the  land. 

23  For  thou  shalt  form  an  alliance  with  the  stones  of  the  field. 
And  the  beasts  of  the  field  shall  be  at  peace  with  thee. 

24  Thou  shalt  know  that  thy  tent  is  secure, 

And  thou  shalt  return  to  thy  dwelling,  and  not  miss  it. 

25  And  thou  shalt  know  that  thy  posterity  shall  be  numerous, 
And  thine  offspring  like  plants  upon  the  earth. 

26  Thou  shalt  come  in  full  age  to  the  grave. 

As  a  shook  of  grain  that  is  gathered  in  its  season. 

27  Lo !     This  we  have  searched  out.     So  it  is 
Hear  !  and  know  thou  it  for  thyself. 


CHAPTER  VI.  VII. 

The  first  series  in  the  controversy  continued. 

THE  REPLY  OK  JOB  TO  ELIPHAZ. 

i  And  Job  answered,  and  said  : 

2  O  that  my  grief  were  weighed  thoroughly  ! 

That  they  would  put  my  calamities  in  the  balance  together' 

3  For  now  would  they  be  heavier  than  the  sands  of  the  sea* 
Therefore  are  my  words  swallowed  up. 

4  For  the  arrows  of  the  Almighty  are  within  me, 
Their  poison  drinketh  up  my  spirit : 

The  terrors  of  God  set  themselves  in  array  against  rae. 

5  Doth  the  wild  ass  bray  in  the  midst  of  grass? 
Or  loweth  the  ox  over  his  fodder  ? 

6  Can  that  which  is  insipid  be  eaten  without  salt  ? 
Is  there  any  taste  in  the  white  of  an  egg  ? 

7  The  things  which  my  soul  abhors  to  touch 
Are  become  my  sorrowful  food. 

8  O  that  I  might  have  my  request, 
And  that  God  would  grant  my  desire, 

9  That  it  would  please  God  to  crush  me. 

That  he  would  let  loose  his  hand  and  cut  me  oflF! 

10  Then  there  would  be  yet  comfort  to  me ; 
Yea,  I  would  exult  in  my  anguish — 
Let  him  spare  not — 

For  I  have  not  concealed  the  words  of  the  Holy  One. 

11  What  is  my  strength,  that  J  should  hope  1 
And  what  is  my  end,  that  I  should  be  patient  ? 

12  Is  my  strength  the  strength  of  stones  ? 
Is  my  flesh  brass? 

13  Alas,  my  help  is  not  in  myself! 
Deliverance  has  fled  from  me. 

14  To  the  afflicted  kindness  should  be  shown  by  his  friend  ; 


10  NEW    tRANSLATION. 

But  he  has  forsaken  the  fear  of  the  Almighty. 

15  My  brethren  are  faithless  as  a  brook, 

Like  the  streams  of  the  valley  that  pass  away," 

16  Which  are  turbid  by  means  of  the  [melted]  ice, 
In  which  the  snow  is  hid  [by  being  dissolved]. 

17  In  the  time  when  they  become  warm,  they  evaporate .. 
Whea  the  heat  cometh  they  are  dried  up  from  their  place* 

18  The  channels  of  their  way  wind  round  about; 
They  go  into  nothing — and  are  lost. 

19  The  caravans  of  Tema  look  ; 

The  travelling  companies  of  Sheba  expect  to  see  them. 

20  They  are  ashamed  that  they  have  relied  on  them  ; 
They  come  even  to  the  place,  and  are  cohfounded. 

21  For  now  ye  also  are  nothing  : 

Ye  see  my  calamity,  and  shrink  back. 

22  Have  I  said,  Bring  me  a  gift  ? 

Or,  from  your  property  make  me  a  present  1 

23  Or,  deliver  me  from  the  hand  of  an  enemy  ? 
Or,  from  the  hand  of  the  violent  rescue  me 

24  Teach  me,  and  I  will  be  silent ; 

And  wherein  I  have  erred  cause  me  to  understand, 

25  How  powerful  are  words  of  truth ! 

But  what  doth  your  reproaching  demonstrate  1 

26  Do  you  think  to  reprove  mere  words? 

The  words  of  a  man  in  despair  [should  be  regarded]  as  the  wind 

27  Truly  against  the  fatherless  ye  would  spring  [a  net]. 
And  ye  dig  a  pitfall  for  your  neighbor. 

2S  Now,  therefore,  if  you  please,  look  closely  upon  me. 
For  if  I  speak  falsehood  it  will  be  manifest  to  you. 

29  Return  now,  let  it  not  be  assumed  to  be  evil ; 

Return  again,  for  my  vindication  is  in  it  [in  my  argument] 

30  Is  there  iniquity  in  my  tongue  ? 

Cannot  my  taste  discern  that  which  is  simple? 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  11 

Chap.  VII 

1  Is  there  not  an  appointed  service  to  man  upon  earth  ? 

Are  not  his  days  as  the  days  of  an  hireling  ? 

2  As  the  servant  pants  for  the  evening  shadow, 
And  as  the  hireling  anxiously  expects  his  wages, 

3  Thus  am  I  made  to  inherit  comfortless  months, 
And  nights  of  anguish  are  appointed  to  me. 

4  If  I  lie  down,  then  I  say, 

When  shall  I  arise,  and  the  night  flee  away? 
And  I  am  full  of  restlessness  until  the  dawn. 

5  My  flesh  is  clothed  with  worms,  and  clods  of  dust ; 
My  skin  becomes  rigid,  and  is  loathsome. 

6  My  days  are  swifter  than  a  weaver's  shuttle; 
They  are  consumed  without  hope. 

7  O  remember  that  my  life  is  wind ; 
Mine  eye  shall  not  return  to  see  good  ! 

8  The  eye  of  him  that  hath  seen  me  shall  see  me  no  more ; 
Thine  eyes  are  upon  me — and  I  am  not ! 

9  A  cloud  wasteth  and  vanisheth  away — 

So  he  that  goes  down  to  the  grave  cometh  up  again  no  more. 

10  He  shall  not  return  again  to  his  house, 

And  his  dwelling-place  shall  know  him  no  more. 

11  Therefore  I  will  not  refrain  my  mouth ; 
I  will  speak  in  the  anguish  of  my  spirit, 

I  will  cry  out  in  the  bitterness  of  my  soul. 

12  Am  I  a  sea,  or  a  sea  monster. 
That  thou  settest  a  watch  over  me  ? 

13  When  I  say  my  couch  shall  console  me, 
My  bed  shall  lighten  my  complaint, 

14  Then  dost  thou  scare  me  with  dreams. 
And  with  visions  dost  thou  terrify  me ; 

15  So  that  my  soul  chooseth  strangling — 
Death — rather  than  these  bones. 

16  I  loathe  [life] ;  1  would  not  live  always  ; 


1^  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

Let  me  alone,  for  my  days  are  vanity 

17  What  is  man  that  thou  shouldst  make  him  of  so  great  importance. 
And  that  thou  shouldst  set  thy  heart  towards  him  ? 

18  That  thou  shouldst  visit  him  every  morning, 
And  prove  him  every  moment  ? 

19  How  long  ere  thou  wilt  look  away  from  me, 

And  let  me  alone  that  I  may  swallow  down  my  spittle? 

20  Have  I  sinned  ;  what  have  I  done  to  thee  ? 
O  thou  Watcher  of  man  ! 

Why  dost  thou  set  me  up  before  thyself  for  a  mark, 
So  that  I  am  a  burden  to  myself? 

21  And  why  dost  thou  not  pardon  my  transgression, 
And  suffer  my  guilt  to  pass  away  ? 

For  soon  shall  I  sleep  in  the  dust : 

In  the  morning  thou  shalt  seek  me,  and  I  shall  not  be. 


CHAPTER  Vni. 

The  first  series  in  the  controversy  continued, 

THE    FIRST    SPEECH    OF    BILDAD    THE    SHUHITZ. 

1  Then  answered  Bildad  the  Shuhite,  and  said : 

2  How  long  wilt  thou  speak  these  things  ? 

And  the  words  of  thy  mouth  be  a  mighty  wind  ? 

3  Doth  God  pervert  judgment  1 

Or  will  the  Almighty  pervert  justice  ? 

4  Since  thy  children  have  sinned  against  him, 

And  he  hath  cast  them  away  on  account  of  their  transgression 

5  Yet  if  thou  wouldst  seek  early  unto  God, 
And  make  thy  supplication  to  the  Almighty, 

6  If  thou  wert  pure  and  upright, 

Even  now  would  he  arouse  himself  for  thee. 

And  would  make  prosperous  thy  righteous  habitation. 

7  Although  thy  beginning  should  be  small, 
Yet  thy  latter  end  would  greatly  increase 


NEW    TRANSLATION. 

8  For  inquire,  I  pray  thee,  of  the  former  age. 

Yea,  apply  thyself  to  the  examination  of  their  forefathers ; 

9  (For  we  are  but  of  yesterday,  and  we  know  nothing, 
For  our  days  upon  earth  are  a  shadow  ;) 

10  Shall  they  not  teach  thee,  and  tell  thee, 
And  utter  words  from  their  hearts  ? 

11  "  Can  the  paper  reed  grow  up  without  mire? 
"  Can  the  bulrush  grow  up  without  water  ? 

12  "Even  yet  in  its  greenness,  and  uncut, 
"  It  withereth  before  any  other  herb. 

13  "  Such  are  the  ways  of  all  who  forget  God ; 
"  So  perishes  the  hope  of  the  hypocrite. 

14  "  His  hope  shall  rot, 

"  And  his  trust  shall  be  the  building  of  the  spider. 

15  "  He  shall  lean  upon  his  building  and  it  shall  not  stand ; 
"  He  shall  grasp  it,  but  it  shall  not  endure. 

16  "  He  is  green  before  the  sun  rises, 

"  And  his  branches  go  forth  over  his  garden. 

17  "  Over  the  heap  [of  stones]  his  roots  are  entwined, 
"  They  look  to  the  pile  of  stones  [for  a  support]. 

18  "  Yet  the  sun  shall  absorb  it  from  its  place, 

"  And  shall  refuse  to  own  it,  saying,  '  I  never  saw  thee!' 

19  "  Lo  !  such  is  the  joy  of  his  course  ! 

"  Yet  from  the  dust  others  shall  spring  up." 

20  Behold,  God  will  not  cast  away  a  perfect  man  ; 
Nor  will  he  lend  his  aid  to  the  wicked. 

21  While  he  filleth  thy  mouth  with  laughter. 
And  thy  lips  with  triumph. 

22  They  that  hate  thee  shall  be  clothed  with  shame. 
And  the  tent  of  the  wicked  shall  not  be  ! 


13 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  first  series  in  the  controversy  continued. 

THE  REPLY  OF  JOB  TO  BILDAD.       Ch.  ix.  X. 

1  Then  Job  answered,  and  said  : 

2  Truly  I  know  that  it  is  so ; 

And  how  can  man  be  just  before  God? 

3  If  he  chooses  to  enter  into  a  litigation  with  him, 

He  cannot  answer  him  to  one  [charge]  of  a  thousand. 

4  Wise  in  heart !  and  mighty  in  strength  ! 

Who  hath  hardened  himself  in  opposition  to  him  and  been  suc- 
cessful ? 

5  He  removeth  the  mountains,  and  they  know  it  not ; 
He  overturneth  them  in  his  wrath. 

6  He  shaketh  the  earth  out  of  her  place ; 
And  the  pillars  thereof  tremble. 

7  He  commandeth  the  sun,  and  it  riseth  not ; 
And  he  sealeth  up  the  stars. 

8  He  alone  stretches  out  the  heavens ; 

And  walketh  upon  the  high  waves  of  the  sea. 

9  He  maketh  Arcturus,  Orion, 

The  Pleiades,  and  the  secret  chambers  of  the  South. 

10  He  doeth  great  things  which  there  is  no  searching  out; 
Yea,  marvellous  things  beyond  number. 

11  Lo  !  He  passeth  by  me — and  I  see  him  not; 
He  goeth  on — but  I  do  not  perceive  him. 

12  Lo !  He  taketh  away,  and  who  can  compel  him  to  restore  ? 
Who  can  say  to  him,  What  doest  thou  ? 

13  God  will  not  turn  away  his  anger  ; 

The  supporters  of  pride  bow  before  him. 

14  Truly  if  I  should  answer  him, 

I  would  carefully  select  my  words  before  him ; 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  15 

15  Whom,  though  I  were  innocent  I  would  not  answer ; 
I  would  cast  myself  on  the  mercy  of  my  Judge. 

16  Should  I  call,  and  he  should  respond, 

I  would  not  believe  that  he  could  hear  my  voice — 

17  He  who  is  overwhelming  me  with  a  tempest, 
And  who  multiplies  my  wounds  without  cause — 

IS  He  that  will  not  suffer  me  to  take  my  breath, 
But  who  fills  me  with  bitterness. 

19  If  the  contest  had  respect  to  strength,  lo  I  how  strong  is  He  I 
If  it  relates  to  justice,  who  would  summon  for  me  the  witnesses 

for  trial  ? 

20  Should  I  justify  myself,  my  own  mouth  would  condemn  me. 
I  perfect !     It  would  prove  me  perverse. 

21  I  perfect !     1  should  not  know  my  own  soul ! 
I  should  disown  my  very  being  ! 

22  There  is  but  one  result ;  therefore  I  maintained  it — 
The  perfect  and  the  wicked  he  destroyeth  alike. 

23  If  the  scourge  slayeth  suddenly 

He  laugheth  at  the  sufferings  of  the  innocent. 

24  The  earth  is  given  into  the  hands  of  the  wicked  ; 
The  face  of  its  judges  he  covereth ; 

If  this  be  not  so,  where — who  is  he  ? 

25  And  my  days  are  swifter  than  a  runner; 
They  flee  away,  and  they  see  no  good. 

26  They  pass  on  like  the  reed-skiffs  ; 
As  the  eagle  darting  upon  his  prey. 

27  If  I  say  I  will  forget  my  complaining, 

I  will  change  my  sad  countenance  and  brighten  up, 

28  Still  I  am  in  dread  of  all  my  sorrows, 

I  know  that  thou  wilt  not  hold  me  innocent. 

29  I  am  held  to  be  guilty  ; 

Why  then  should  I  labor  in  vain? 

30  Should  I  wash  myself  in  snow-water, 
And  cleanse  my  hands  in  soap, 

31  Still  thou  wilt  plunge  me  into  the  mire. 
So  that  my  own  clothes  will  abhor  me. 


16  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

32  For  he  is  not  a  man  as  I  am  that  I  should  contend  with  him. 
And  that  we  should  come  together  to  trial. 

33  Neither  is  there  between  us  any  umpire 
Who  may  lay  his  hand  upon  both.     . 

34  Let  him  remove  from  me  his  rod, 
And  let  not  his  terror  dismay  me, 

35  And  I  will  speak  and  not  be  afraid  of  him — 
But  not  thus  can  I  as  I  am  now. 

Chap.  X. 

1  My  soul  is  weary  of  my  life, 

I  will  give  myself  up  to  complaint 

I  will  speak  in  the  bitterness  of  my  soul. 

2  I  will  say  unto  God, 

Do  not  merely  hold  me  to  be  wicked. 

Show  me  the  reason  why  thou  dost  contend  with  me. 

3  Is  it  a  pleasure  for  thee  to  oppress  1 
To  despise  the  work  of  thy  hands, 

And  to  shine  upon  the  counsel  of  the  wicked  ? 

4  Are  thine  eyes  of  flesh  ? 
Dost  thou  see  as  man  seeth  1 

5  Are  thy  days  as  the  days  of  man  ? 
And  thy  years  as  the  years  of  man  ? 

6  That  thou  seekest  after  my  iniquity. 
And  searchest  after  my  sin, 

7  With  thy  knowledge  that  I  am  not  a  wicked  man, 
And  that  none  can  deliver  out  of  thy  handl. 

8  Thy  hands  have  laboriously  formed  me, 
And  have  made  me  compact  on  every  part, 
And  wilt  thou  destroy  me  1 

9  Remember,  1  beseech  thee,  that  thou  hast  made  me  as  clay ; 
And  wilt  thou  bring  me  again  to  dust  ? 

10  Thou  didst  pour  me  out  as  milk, 
And  curdle  me  as  cheese. 

11  With  skin  and  flesh  hast  thou  clothed  me, 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  17 

With  bones  and  sinews  hast  thou  strengthened  me. 

12  Life  and  favor  thou  hast  granted  me, 
And  thy  care  hath  preserved  my  spirit. 

13  And  these  things  thou  didst  hide  in  thine  heart ; 
I  know  that  this  was  thy  purpose. 

14  If  I  sin,  thou  dost  carefully  observe  me; 

And  from  my  iniquity  thou  wilt  not  acquit  me. 

15  If  I  am  wicked,  wo  is  unto  me ; 

And  if  I  am  righteous,  I  cannot  lift  up  my  head. 
I  am  full  of  confusion  : — 
And  see  my  affliction, 

16  For  it  magnifies  itself. 

Like  a  lion  thou  dost  hunt  me, 

And  thou  returnest,  and  thy  dealings  towards  me  are  marvellous  ! 

17  Thou  niakest  new  thy  proofs  against  me, 
And  increasest  thine  anger  against  me  : — 
The  whole  army  of  afflictions  is  upon  me. 

18  And  why  didst  thou  bring  me  forth  from  the  womb  ? 

0  that  I  had  expired,  and  that  no  eye  had  seen  me  ! 

19  I  should  have  been  as  though  I  had  not  been ; 

1  should  have  been  borne  from  the  womb  to  the  grave. 

20  Are  not  my  days  few  1 

O  spare  me,  and  let  me  alone,  that  I  may  take  a  little  ease, 

21  Before  I  go  whence  I  shall  not  return, 

To  the  land  of  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death — 
SS  The  land  of  darkness  like  the  blackness  of  the  shadow  of  death ; 
Where  there  is  no  order,  and  where  its  shining  is  like  blacknes* 

CHAPTER    XL 
The  first  series  in  the  controversy  continued. 

THE    F1R£T    SPEECH    OF    ZOPHAR.       Ch.  xi. 

1  And  Zophar  the  Naamathite  answered  and  said  : 

2  Shall  not  the  multitude  of  words  be  answered  1 
Shall  the  man  of  mere  talk  be  justified  ? 


18  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

3  Shall  thy  trifles  make  men  be  silent 

^        Shalt  thou  mock  and  no  one  put  thee  to  shame  ? 

4  For  thou  hast  said,  My  doctrine  is  pure, 
And  I  am  clean  in  thine  eyes. 

^  5  But  O  that  God  would  speak, 
And  open  his  lips  with  thee  ; 

6  And  would  declare  to  thee  the  secrets  of  wisdom, 
For  they  are  double  what  we  can  understand  ! 

Then  shouldst  thou  know  that  God  had  left  unnoticed  a  part  of 
thine  iniquities. 

7  Canst  thou  by  searching  find  out  God  ? 

Canst  thou  find  out  the  Almighty  to  perfection  ? 

8  The  heights  of  heaven  !     What  canst  thou  do? 
The  depths  below  Sheol !     What  canst  thou  know  t 

9  Longer  than  the  earth  is  its  measure  ; 
And  broader  than  the  ocean. 

10  If  he  arrest,  and  imprison,  and  bring  to  trial, 
Who  then  can  prevent  him  1 

1 1  For  he  knoweth  men  of  falsehood, 

And  he  seeth  iniquity,  though  he  does  not  seem  to  notice  it. 

12  For  deceitful  man  would  seem  to  have  a  heart. 
Though  man  be  born  like  the  colt  of  a  wild  ass. 

13  If  thou  prepare  thine  heart. 

And  stretch  out  thine  hands  towards  him  ; 

14  If  the  iniquity  which  is  in  thine  hands  thou  wilt  put  far  away, 
And  wilt  not  suffer  evil  to  dwell  in  thy  habitation ; 

15  Then  shalt  thou  lift  up  thy  countenance  without  spot, 
And  thou  shalt  be  firm,  and  shalt  not  fear. 

16  For  thou  shalt  forget  thy  misery  ; 

Like  waters  that  pass  away  shalt  thou  remember  it. 

17  And  thy  life  shall  be  bright  above  the  noon-day  : 

Now  thou  art  now  in  darkness — but  thou  shalt  be  as  the  morn- 
ing. 

18  And  thou  shalt  be  confident,  for  there  will  be  hope  : 

Now  thou  art  suffused  with  shame — but  then  shalt  lie  down  in 
safety. 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  19 

19  Yea,  thou  shalt  lie  down,  and  none  shall  make  thee  afraid; 
And  many  shall  make  suit  unto  thee. 

20  But  the  eyes  of  the  wicked  shall  be  wearied  out; 
And  they  shall  find  no  refuge  ; 

And  their  hope  shall  expire.  ' 


CHAP.  XII.  XIII.  XIV. 
The  first  series  in  the  controversy  continued 

THE    ANSWER    OF    JOB    TO    ZOPHAR. 
CUA  '.   XII. 

1  And  Job  answered  and  said  : 

2  No  doubt  ye  are  the  people  ! 
Ana  wisdom  will  die  with  you ! 

3  Yet  I  have  understanding  as  well  as  you  ; 
I  am  not  inferior  to  you ; 

And  with  whom  are  there  not  sayings  like  these  ? 

4  A  mockery  to  his  neighbor  am  I — 

The  man  calling  upon  God,  and  whom  he  answers- 
Derided  is  the  just,  the  perfect  man. 

5  He  that  is  ready  to  slip  with  his  feet, 
In  the  eyes  of  him  that  is  at  ease, 

Is  as  a  cast-away  torch. 

6  The  tents  of  robbers  are  secure, 

They  are  secure  to  those  who  provoke  God, 
To  whose  hand  God  brings  in  abundance. 

7  But  now  ask  the  beasts,  and  they  shall  teach  thee  , 
And  the  fowls  of  heaven,  and  they  shall  tell  thee. 

8  Or  speak  to  the  earth,  and  it  shall  teach  thee. 
And  the  fishes  of  the  sea  will  declare  to  thee. 

9  Who  among  all  these  doth  not  know 
That  the  hand  of  Jehovah  doeth  this? 

10  In  whose  hand  is  the  life  of  every  thing  that  liveth. 
And  the  breath  of  all  human  flesh. 


20 


NEW    TRANSLATION. 


11  Doth  not  the  ear  prove  words? 
And  the  palate  taste  its  food  ? 

12  With  the  aged  is  wisdom, 

And  in  length  of  days  is  understanding, 

13  With  Him  are  wisdom  and  strength  ; 

To  him  pertains  counsel  and  understanding. 

14  Lo  !  he  pulleth  down,  and  it  cannot  be  rebuilt; 

He  shutteth  up  a  man,  and  there  is  no  opening  [for  escape]. 

15  Lo !  he  restraineth  the  waters,  and  they  are  dried  up  ; 
He  sendeth  them  forth,  and  they  desolate  the  earth. 

16  With  him  are  strength  and  sufficiency  ; 
The  deceived  and  the  deceiver  are  his. 

17  He  leadeth  counsellors  away  captive, 
And  judges  he  maketh  fools. 

18  The  authority  of  kings  he  loosens, 
And  with  a  cord  he  bindeth  their  loins. 

19  He  leadeth  priests  away  captive, 
And  the  mighty  he  prostrates. 

20  He  removeth  eloquence  from  the  trusty, 
And  taketh  away  discernment  from  the  aged. 

21  He  poureth  contempt  upon  princes; 
And  looseth  the  girdle  of  the  mighty. 

22  He  revealeth  deep  things  from  the  midst  of  darkness; 
And  bringeth  the  shadow  of  death  to  light. 

23  He  increaseth  nations,  and  destroyeth  them  ; 
He  enlargeth  nations,  and  leadeth  them  back. 

24  He  taketh  away  understanding  from  the  chiefs  of  the  people  of 

the  earth ; 
And  causeth  them  to  wander  in  a  solitude  where  there  is  no 
path. 

25  They  grope  in  darkness,  and  there  is  no  light ; 
He  maketh  them  to  reel  like  a  drunken  man. 

Chap.  XIII. 

1  Lo !  all  this  hath  mine  eye  seen ; 

Mine  ear  hath  heard  and  understood  it. 


NEW    TRANSLATION, 


Si 


2  What  ye  know,  I  know  also ; 
I  do  not  fall  below  you. 

3  But  O  that  I  might  speak  to  the  Almighty; 

And  I  would  have  pleasure  in  urging  my  cause  before  God. 

4  For  truly  ye  are  forgers  of  sophisms  : 
Physicians  of  no  value  all  of  you  ! 

5  O  that  ye  would  be  entirely  silent, 
And  it  would  be  your  wisdom  I 

6  Hear,  I  pray  you,  my  reasoning; 

And  attend  to  the  arguments  of  my  lips. 

7  Will  ye  speak  falsely  for  God  ' 
For  him  will  ye  utter  follacy? 

8  Will  ye  be  partial  to  his  person  ? 
Will  ye  contend  for  God  ? 

9  Would  it  be  well  for  you  if  he  should  thoroughly  search  you? 
Can  you  deceive  him  as  man  may  be  deceived  1 

10  Surely  he  will  rebuke  you 

If  you  secretly  have  respect  to  persons. 

11  Shall  not  his  majesty  fill  you  with  reverence? 
And  his  dread  fall  upon  you  ? 

12  Your  maxims  are  parables  of  ashes ; 
Your  ramparts  are  ramparts  of  clay. 

13  Hold  your  peace,  and  let  me  speak — 
And  then  let  any  thing  come  upon  me. 

14  In  regard  to  this,  I  will  take  my  flesh  in  my  teeth, 
And  my  life  in  my  hand. 

15  Lo  !  Let  him  slay  me  ;  I  will  trust  in  him  ; 
I  will  vindicate  my  ways  before  him, 

16  He  also  shall  be  to  me  for  salvation  j 

For  an  hypocrite  shall  not  come  before  him. 

17  Attentively  hear  my  words, 

And  my  declaration  with  your  ears. 

18  Lo !  now  I  have  set  in  order  my  cause  ; 
I  know  that  I  shall  be  declared  just. 

19  Who  is  there  that  will  contend  with  me? 
For  then  would  I  be  silent — and  die. 


22  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

20  Only  do  not  two  things  unto  me — 

Then  will  I  not  hide  myself  from  thy  presence. 

21  Remove  thy  hand  far  from  me, 

And  let  not  thy  dread  make  me  afraid  ! 

22  Then  call,  and  I  will  answer  ; 

Or  I  will  speak,  and  answer  thou  me. 

23  How  many  are  my  iniquities  and  my  sins  ? 
Make  me  to  know  my  transgression  and  my  sins. 

24  Why  dost  thou  hide  thy  face. 
And  regard  me  as  thine  enemy? 

25  Wilt  thou  break  the  driven  leaf? 
Wilt  thou  pursue  the  dry  stubble  ? 

26  For  thou  writest  bitter  things  against  me, 
And  makest  me  to  inherit  the  sins  of  my  youth. 

27  Thou  placest  my  feet  in  the  stocks, 
And  thou  watchest  all  my  paths : 

Upon  the  soles  of  my  feet  thou  dost  set  a  print. 

28  Thus  man  like  rottenness  decays, 

Like  a  garment  that  the  moth  consumes. 

Chap.  XIV. 

1  Man,  the  offsprmg  of  woman, 

Is  of  few  days,  and  is  full  of  trouble. 

2  He  Cometh  forth  as  a  flower,  and  is  cut  down  ; 
And  he  fleeth  as  a  shadow,  and  doth  not  stay. 

3  And  dost  thou  indeed  open  thine  eyes  upon  such  an  one, 
And  bring  me  to  trial  with  thee  ? 

4  Who  can  produce  a  clean  thing  from  an  unclean  1 
Not  one. 

5  Smce  his  days  are  fixed. 

The  number  of  his  months  is  with  thee. 

Thou  hast  affixed  his  limits  which  he  cannot  pass, 

6  O  turn  from  him,  and  leave  him, 

That  he  may  enjoy  his  day  as  [that  of]   a  hireling. 

7  For  there  is  hope  of  a  tree. 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  23 

If  it  be  cut  down  that  it  will  flourish  again, 
And  that  its  tender  branch  will  not  fail. 

8  Though  its  root  grow  old  in  the  earth, 
And  its  trunk  die  on  tlie  ground, 

9  From  the  vapor  of  water  it  will  spring  up  again. 
And  put  forth  boughs  as  a  young  plant. 

10  But  man  dieth,  and  he  is  gone — 
Yea,  man  expires — and  where  is  he? 

1 1  The  waters  from  the  lake  fail, 

And  the  river  is  exhausted  and  dried  up, 

12  So  man  lieth  down,  and  riseth  not ; 

Till  the  heavens  be  no  more  they  shall  not  be  aroused,    , 
And  they  shall  not  be  awaked  out  of  their  sleep. 

13  O  that  thou  wouldst  hide  me  in  Sheol ! 

That  thou  wouldst  conceal  me  till  thine  anger  be  past ! 
That  thou  wouldst  appoint  for  me  a  set  time  and  then  remem- 
ber me ! 

14  If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again? 

All  the  days  of  my  hard  service  will  I  wait 
Till  my  change  come. 

15  Do  thou  call,  and  I  will  answer  thee ; 

Show  thou  compassion  to  the  work  of  thine  hands. 

16  For  now  thou  dost  number  my  steps; 
Dost  thou  not  watch  over  my  sins  ? 

17  My  transgression  is  sealed  up  in  a  bag, 
And  thou  sewest  up  mine  iniquity. 

18  And  surely  the  mountain  falling  comes  to  nought. 
And  the  rock  is  removed  from  its  place ; 

19  The  waters  wear  away  the  stones. 

The  floods  wash  away  the  dust  of  the  earth, 
And  the  hope  of  man  thou  dost  destroy. 

20  Thou  dost  overpower  him  forever,  and  he  passes  off; 
Thou  dost  change  his  countenance,  and  sendest  him  away 

21  His  sons  are  honored,  but  he  knoweth  it  not ; 

Or  they  are  brought  low,  but  he  perceiveth  it  not. 

22  But  his  flesh  shall  have  pain  upon  him ; 
And  his  soul  within  him  shall  mourn. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
The  second  series  in  the  controversy.     Ch.  xv.-xxi. 

THE    SECOND    SPEECH    OF    ELIPHAZ.       Ch.  XV. 

1  And  Eliphaz  the  Temanite  answered  and  said : 

2  Should  a  wise  man  answer  with  arguments  of  wind, 
And  fill  himself  with  the  east  wind? 

3  Should  he  reason  with  words  which  do  not  profit, 
And  in  discourses  in  which  there  is  no  benefit? 

4  Truly  thou  dost  make  religion  void; 
And  dost  make  prayer  useless  before  God. 

5  Yea,  thine  own  mouth  proclaimeth  thine  iniquity, 
And  thou  hast  chosen  the  tongue  of  the  crafty. 

6  Thine  own  mouth  condemneth  thee,  and  not  I, 
And  thy  lips  testify  against  thee. 

7  Art  thou  the  first  man  that  was  born  ? 

And  wast  thou  brought  forth  before  the  hills  ? 

8  In  the  council  of  God  hast  thou  listened? 
And  hast  thou  reserved  all  wisdom  to  thyself? 

9  What  dost  thou  know  that  we  know  not  also  ? 
What  dost  thou  understand  that  is  not  with  us? 

10  For  the  old  and  the  hoary-headed  are  with  us — 
More  venerable  in  age  than  thy  father. 

11  Wilt  thou  disregard  the  consolations  which  God  furnishes, 
And  the  words  which  have  been  so  very  gently  addressed  to 

thee  ? 

12  Why  does  thy  heart  bear  thee  away  ? 

And  why  do  thine  eyes  evince  so  much  pride  1 

13  For  against  God  hath  thy  spirit  replied, 

And  thou  hast  brought  forth  [hard]  speeches  from  thy  mouth. 

14  What  is  man  that  he  should  be  pure  ? 

And  he  that  is  born  of  a  woman  that  he  should  be  just  ? 

15  Behold  he  does  not  confide  in  his  Holy  Ones, 
And  the  heavens  are  not  pure  in  his  eyes. 


NliW     TRANSLATION  25 

16  How  much  more  abominable  and  polluted  is  man 
Who  drinketh  iniquity  as  water ! 

17  1  will  show  thee  ;  hear  me  ; 

That  which  I  have  seen  I  will  declare, 

18  Which  wise  men  have  related, 

And  which  [having  received  it]  of  their  ancestors  they  have 
not  concealed 

19  When  the  land  was  entirely  in  their  possession, 
And  a  foreigner  had  not  passed  among  them  : 

20  '  All  his  days  the  wicked  man  is  tormented  with  pain  ; 

'  And  the  number  of  his  years  is  unknown  to  the  oppressor. 

21  '  A  fearful  sound  is  in  his  ears — 

'  And  in  his  security  the  destroyer  cometh  upon  him. 

22  '  He  has  not  confidence  that  he  shall  return  from  darkness  ; 
'  And  his  expectation  is  the  sword. 

23  '  He  wandereth  abroad  for  bread — where  is  it? 
'  He  knows  that  a  day  of  darkness  is  at  hand. 

24  '  Trouble  and  anguish  fill  him  with  dread, 

'  They  prevail  against  him — as  a  king  prepared  for  the  battle 

25  '  For  he  stretches  out  his  hand  against  God  ; 

'  And  against  the  Almighty  he  fortifies  himself 

26  '  He  runneth  upon  him  with  outstretched  neck, 
'  With  the  thick  bosses  of  his  shields, 

27  '  Because  he  covered  his  face  with  fatness, 
'  And  gathered  flesh  upon  his  loins ; 

28  '  Therefore  shall  he  dwell  in  desolate  cities, 
'  In  houses  which  are  not  inhabited, 

'  Which  are  ready  to  become  a  pile  of  ruins. 

29  '  He  shall  not  be  rich  ; 

*  H  s  property  shall  not  remain  ; 

'  His  possessions  shall  not  be  spread  abroad  upon  the  earth. 

30  *  He  shall  not  escape  out  of  darkness; 
'  His  branches  shall  the  flame  dry  up ; 

'  By  the  breath  of  his  mouth  shall  he  be  taken  away. 

31  '  Let  him  not  trust  in  vanity.     He  is  deceived, 

*  Vanity  shall  be  his  recompense 

15 


26 


NEW    'i'KANSLATlON. 


32  *  He  shall  not  complete  his  time; 

*  And  his  branches  shall  not  be  green. 

33  *  He  shall  cast  his  unripe  fruit  as  the  vine, 
'  And  shed  his  blossoms  like  the  olive. 

34  '  For  the  community  of  hypocrites  shall  be  desolate; 
'  And  fire  shall  consume  the  tents  of  bribery. 

35  '  They  conceive  mischief; 

*  They  bring  forth  vanity  ; 

'  And  their  breast  deviseth  deceit.' 


CHAPTERS  XVI.,  XVH. 

THE    ANSWER    OF    JOB. 

1  But  Job  answered,  and  said  . 

2  Many  such  things  as  these  have  I  heard ! 
Miserable  comforters  are  ye  all ! 

3  Will  there  be  an  end  to  words  of  wind  ? 

Or  what  has  provoked  thee  to  answer  thus  ? 

4  I  also  could  speak  as  ye  do  ; 
If  ye  were  now  in  my  place 

I  could  string  together  words  against  you. 
And  could  shake  my  head  at  you. 

5  But  I  would  strengthen  you  with  my  mouth, 
And  the  moving  of  my  lips  should  sustain  you 

6  If  I  speak,  my  grief  is  not  staid  ; 

If  I  forbear,  how  does  it  depart  from  me  ' 

7  For  now  He  hath  quite  exhausted  me  ; 
Thou  hast  made  desolate  all  my  house. 

8  For  thou  hast  compressed  me,  and  this  is  a  witness  against  me  ; 
And  my  leanness  rises  up  against  me,  and  accuses  me  to  my  face. 

9  In  his  anger  he  teareth  me,  and  is  become  my  adversary  ; 
He  gnashes  upon  me  with  his  teeth  ; 

Mine  enemy  sharpeneth  his  eyes  upon  me. 
10  They  gape  upon  me  with  their  mouth  ; 
In  scorn  they  smite  my  cheek  ; 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  27 

They  have  conspired  together  against  me. 

11  God  hath  made  me  a  captive  to  the  unrighteous  ; 

And  into  tlie  hands  of  the  wicked  hath  he  delivered  me. 

12  Happy  was  I — but  he  crushed  me ; 

He  seized  me  by  the  neck,  and  shook  me  ; 
He  set  me  up  for  a  mark. 

13  His  archers  came  around  me; 

He  transfixed  my  reins,  and  did  not  spare ; 
My  gall  hath  he  poured  out  upon  the  ground. 

14  He  breaketh  me  with  breach  upon  breach  ; 
He  rusheth  upon  me  like  a  mighty  man. 

15  I  have  sewed  sackcloth  upon  my  skin  ; 
And  degraded  my  horn  in  the  dust. 

16  My  face  is  swollen  with  grief; 

And  on  my  eyelids  is  the  shadow  of  death. 

17  Not  because  there  has  been  injustice  in  my  hands  ; 
And  my  prayer  hath  been  pure. 

18  O  earth,  cover  not  my  blood. 

Let  there  be  no  hiding-place  for  my  cry. 

19  Also  now  behold  my  evidence  is  in  heaven  ; 
My  witness  is  on  high. 

20  My  friends  are  but  mockers  ; 

Mine  eye  looketh  with  tears  unto  God. 
210  that  a  man  might  be  permitted  to  contend  with  God 

As  the  offspring  of  man  does  with  his  neighbor. 
22  For  the  numbered  years  pass  away. 

And  I  am  going  the  way  whence  I  shall  not  return. 

Chap.  XVH. 

1  My  spirit  is  exhausted  ; 
My  days  are  at  an  end  ; 
The  grave  waits  for  me. 

2  Are  there  not  mockers  with  me  ? 

And  doth  not  mine  eye  rest  upon  their  provocations  ? 

3  Lay  down  now  [O  God  a  pledge]. 


28 


NEW    TRANSLATION. 


Give  security  for  me  [in  the  controversy]  with  thee ; 
Who  is  he  that  will  strike  hands  with  me  1 

4  Behold,  thou  hast  hid  their  heart  from  understanding ; 
Therefore  thou  shall  not  exalt  them. 

5  He  who  discloses  his  friends  to  the  prey, 
The  eyes  of  his  children  shall  fail. 

6  Me  he  has  placed  for  a  by-word  among  the  people  ; 
I  am  an  object  of  scorn  before  their  face. 

7  Mine  eye  is  dim  with  sorrow, 

And  all  my  limbs  are  like  a  shadow. 

8  The  upright  shall  be  amazed  at  this  ; 

And  the  innocent  will  rouse  himself  against  the  wicked. 

9  The  righteous  will  hold  on  his  way. 

And  he  that  hath  clean  hands  will  become  stronger  and  stronger 

10  As  for  you  all,  return,  and  come,  I  pray, 
And  I  shall  not  find  among  you  one  wise  man 

11  My  days  are  passed  ; 

My  plans  are  at  an  end — 

The  cherished  purposes  of  my  heart. 

12  Night  has  become  day  to  me  ; 
The  light  bordereth  on  darkness. 

13  Truly  I  look  to  Sheol  as  my  home ; 

My  bed  I  spread  in  the  place  of  darkness. 

14  To  corruption  I  say,  '  Thou  art  my  father  ;' 
To  the  worm,  *  My  mother,  and  my  sister.' 

15  And  where  now  is  my  hope? 

And  who  will  see  my  hope  fulfilled  ? 

16  To  the  bars  of  Sheol  they  must  descend, 
Yea,  we  shall  descend  together  to  the  dust. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  second  series  of  the  controversy  continued. 

THE    REPLY    OF    BILDAD    TO    JOB. 

1  Then  Bildad  the  Shuhite  answered  and  said  : 

2  How  long  will  it  be  ere  you  make  an  end  of  words  ? 
Use  sound  arguments,  and  then  we  will  speak. 

3  Why  are  we  regarded  as  brutes, 
And  reputed  vile  in  your  sight? 

4  O  Thou  that  tearest  thyself  in  thine  anger  ! 
Must  the  earth  be  deserted  for  thee, 

And  the  rock  removed  from  its  place  ? 

5  Behold,  the  light  of  the  wicked  shall  be  put  out ; 
The  flame  of  his  fire  shall  not  shine. 

6  Light  shall  turn  to  darkness  in  his  tent. 
And  his  lamp  over  him  shall  be  extinguished. 

7  His  strong  steps  shall  be  straitened, 
And  his  own  plans  shall  cast  him  down. 

8  For  he  is  brought  into  the  net  by  his  own  feet. 
And  into  the  pitfall  he  walks. 

9  The  snare  takes  him  by  the  heel. 
And  the  gin  takes  fast  hold  of  him. 

10  A  net  is  secretly  laid  for  him  in  the  ground, 
And  a  trap  for  him  in  the  pathway. 

11  Terrors  alarm  him  on  every  side. 
And  harass  him  at  his  heels. 

12  His  strength  shall  be  exhausted  by  hunger. 
And  destruction  shall  seize  upon  his  side. 

13  It  shall  devour  the  vigor  of  his  frame. 

The  first-born  of  death  shall  devour  his  limbs. 

14  His  hope  shall  be  rooted  out  of  his  tent, 

And  he  shall  be  brought  to  the  King  of  Terrors. 


30  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

15  [Terror]  shall  dwell  in  his  tent — for  it  is  no  longer  his; 
Sulphur  shall  be  scattered  upon  his  habitation. 

16  His  roots  below,  are  dried  up  ; 
Above,  his  branches  are  withered. 

17  His  memory  shall  perish  from  the  earth, 
And  no  name  shall  he  have  in  public  places. 

18  He  shall  be  driven  from  light  into  darkness, 
And  they  shall  drive  him  out  of  the  world. 

19  He  shall  have  no  son  or  kinsman  among  the  people, 
And  there  shall  be  no  survivor  in  his  dwelling-place. 

20  The  dwellers  in  the  East  shall  be  astonished  at  his  day  j 
They  in  the  West  shall  be  struck  with  horror. 

21  Such  are  the  dwellings  of  the  impious  man, 
And  this  the  place  of  him  that  knows  not  God. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  second  series  in  the  controversy  continued. 

THE  REPLY  OF  JOB  TO  BILDAD. 

1  Then  Job  answered,  and  said  • 

2  How  long  will  ye  vex  my  soul. 
And  crush  me  with  words  ? 

3  These  ten  times  have  ye  reviled  me, 

You  are  not  ashamed  to  stun  me  [with  reproaches].     « 

4  And  be  it,  indeed,  that  I  have  erred; 
My  error  remaineth  with  myself 

5  Since  ye  do  indeed  magnify  yourselves  against  me, 

And  urge  vehemently  against  me  this  which  is  [the  ground  of] 
my  reproach, 

6  Know  now  that  it  is  God  who  has  overthrown  me ; 
He  hath  encircled  me  with  his  net. 

7  Lo,  I  complain  of  violence,  but  I  receive  no  answer; 
I  cry  aloud,  but  there  is  no  justice. 

8  My  way  he  hath  hedged  up  so  that  I  cannot  pass, 


iNEW     TKANSLATION. 


And  in  my  paths  he  hath  placed  darkness. 
9  He  hath  stripped  me  of  my  glory, 
And  taken  the  crown  from  my  head. 

10  He  destroys  me  on  every  side — and  I  am  gone; 
He  uprooteth  my  hope  as  a  tree. 

11  His  anger  burneth  against  me, 
And  he  regardeth  me  as  an  enemy. 

12  His  troops  advance  together  against  me, 
They  throw  up  their  way  against  me, 
And  they  encamp  round  about  my  dwelling. 

13  My  brethren  he  hath  put  far  from  me, 

And  my  acquaintances  are  wholly  estranged  from  me. 

14  My  neighbors  have  failed, 

And  my  intimate  friends  have  forgotten  me. 

15  The  foreigners  in  my  house. 

Yea,  my  own  maid-servants  regard  me  as  a  stranger — 
I  am  an  alien  in  their  view. 

16  I  call  my  servant — and  he  gives  me  no  answer  ; 
With  my  own  mouth  do  I  entreat  him. 

17  My  breath  is  offensive  to  my  wife — 

Though  I  entreated  her  by  [our  love  for]  my  own  children 

18  Yea,  young  children  despised  me ; 
I  arose,  and  they  spake  against  me. 

19  All  my  intimate  friends  abhorred  me. 
And  they  whom  I  loved  turned  against  me. 

20  My  bone  cleaves  to  my  skin  and  my  flesh, 

And  I  have  scarcely  escaped  with  the  skin  of  my  teeth. 

21  Have  pity  upon  me,  have  pity  upon  me,  O  my  friends 
For  the  hand  of  God  hath  smitten  me ! 

22  Why  do  ye  persecute  me  as  God  does. 
And  are  not  satisfied  with  my  flesh  ? 

23  O  that  my  words  were  now  written  ! 

O  that  they  were  engraved  on  a  tablet ! 

24  That  with  an  iron  graver,  and  with  lead, 
They  were  engraven  upon  a  rock  for  ever ! 

25  For  I  know  that  my  Avenger  liveth, 


^  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

And  that  hereafter  he  shall  stand  up  upon  the  earth ; 

26  And  though  after  my  skin  this  [flesli]  be  destroyed, 
Yet  even  without  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God  ; 

27  Whom  I  shall  see  for  myself, 

And  mine  eyes  shall  behold,  and  not  another — 
Though  my  vitals  are  wasting  away  within  me. 

28  Therefore  you  should  say,  '  Why  do  we  persecute  him  ? 
'  Yea,  the  substance  of  piety  is  found  in  him.' 

29  Be  ye  afraid  of  the  sword ; 

For  malice  is  a  crime  for  the  sword — 
That  ye  may  know  that  there  is  justice. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

The  second  series  in  the  controversy  continued 

THE  REPLY  OF   ZOPHAR  TO  JOB. 

1  Then  Zophar  the  Naamathite  answered  and  said : 

2  My  distracted  thoughts  urge  me  to  reply  ; 

[I  reply]  from  the  impetuosity  of  my  feelings. 

3  I  have  heard  thy  injurious  rebuke, 

And  the  emotions  of  my  mind  cause  me  to  answer. 

4  Knowest  thou  not  that  from  the  most  ancient  times, 
From  the  time  when  man  was  placed  upon  the  earth, 

5  That  the  triumphing  of  the  wicked  is  short, 

And  the  joy  of  the  hypocrite  is  but  for  a  moment? 

6  Though  his  greatness  mount  up  to  the  heavens, 
And  his  excellency  unto  the  clouds, 

7  Yet  he  shall  perish  forever  as  the  vilest  substance. 
They  who  have  seen  him  shall  say.  Where  is  he? 

8  He  shall  flee  away  as  a  dream,  and  not  be  found ; 
Yea,  he  shall  vanish  as  a  vision  of  the  night. 

9  The  eye  also  which  saw  him  shall  see  him  no  more. 
And  his  place  shall  never  more  behold  him. 

10  His  sons  shall  seek  the  aid  of  the  poor^ 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  33 

And  their  hands  shall  give  back  his  wealth. 

11  His  bones  are  full  of  his  secret  sins, 

And  they  shall  lie  down  with  him  in  the  dust. 

12  Though  wickedness  be  sweet  in  his  mouth, 
Though  he  hide  it  under  his  tongue, 

13  Though  he  retain  it,  and  will  not  part  with  it, 
And  keep  it  long  in  his  mouth, 

14  His  food  shall  be  changed  within  him  ; 

It  shall  become  the  poison  of  asps  within  him. 

15  He  hath  glutted  himself  with  riches, 
And  he  shall  vomit  them  up  again 
God  shall  expel  them  from  him. 

16  He  shall  suck  the  poison  of  asps ; 
The  viper's  tongue  shall  destroy  him. 

17  He  shall  never  look  upon  the  rivulets — 

The  streams  of  the  valleys — of  honey  and  butter. 

18  The  fruits  of  his  labor  shall  he  give  back,  and  shall  not  enjoy 

them. 
As  property  to  be  restored  shall  it  be,  and  he  shall  not  rejoice 
in  it. 

19  Because  he  hath  oppressed,  and  then  abandoned  the  poor, 
And  seized  upon  the  house  which  he  did  not  build, 

20  Surely  he  shall  not  know  internal  peace, 
He  shall  not  save  that  in  which  he  delights. 

21  Nothing  of  his  food  shall  remain  ; 
Wherefore,  his  prosperity  shall  not  endure. 

22  In  the  fulness  of  his  abundance  he  shall  be  in  want ; 
The  whole  power  of  wretchedness  shall  come  upon  him. 

23  Enough  indeed  shall  there  be  to  fill  himself — 
God  shall  send  upon  him  the  fury  of  his  anger, 
And  rain  it  down  upon  him  while  he  is  eating. 

24  He  shall  flee  from  the  iron  weapon. 

But  the  bow  of  brass  shall  pierce  him  through.  . 

25  One  draws  out  [the  arrow],  and  it  cometh  through  his  body 
The  glittering  steel  cometh  out  of  his  gall  — 

Terrors  are  upon  him  ! 


34  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

26  Every  kind  of  calamity  is  treasured  up  for  him  ; 
A  fire  not  kindled  shall  consume  him ; 

That  shall  fare  ill  which  is  left  in  his  tent. 

27  The  heavens  shall  reveal  his  iniquity  ; 
And  the  earth  shall  rise  up  against  him. 

28  The  property  of  his  house  shall  disappear — 
Flowing  away  in  the  day  of  the  wrath  of  God. 

29  This  is  the  portion  of  the  wicked  man  from  God; 

And  the  inheritance  appointed  for  him  by  the  Almighty. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

The  second  series  in  the  controversy  concluded. 

THE  ANSWER  OF  JOB. 

1  But  Job  answered  and  said  ; 

2  Hear  attentively  my  speech  ; 
And  let  this  be  your  consolation. 

3  Bear  with  me,  and  I  will  speak; 
And  after  I  have  spoken,  mock  on  ! 

4  As  for  me,  is  my  argument  before  man  1 

And  if  this  be  so,  why  should  not  my  spirit  be  in  anguish  ? 

5  Look  on  me,  and  be  astonished ! 
And  lay  your  hand  on  your  mouth  1 

6  When  I  think  on  it,  I  am  confounded ; 
And  trembling  seizes  on  my  flesh. 

7  Why  is  it  that  the  wicked  live. 
Grow  old,  yea,  are  mighty  in  wealth? 

8  Their  children  are  established  before  them,  and  with  them, 
And  their  posterity  before  their  eyes. 

9  Their  houses  are  safe  from  alarms, 
And  the  rod  of  God  is  not  upon  them, 

10  Their  cattle  conceive  and  fail  not ; 

Their  heifer  calveth,  and  casteth  not  her  young. 


NEW    TKANSLATION.  86 

11  They  send  forth  their  little  ones  like  a  flock, 
And  their  children  sportively  play. 

12  They  exhilarate  themselves  with  the  tabor  and  harp, 
And  rejoice  at  the  sound  of  the  pipe. 

13  They  spend  their  days  in  [the  enjoyment  of]  good, 
And  in  an  instant  they  go  down  to  the  grave. 

14  And  they  say  to  God,  '  Depart  from  us; 

'  We  desire  not  the  knowledge  of  thy  ways. 

15  '  Who  is  the  Almighty  that  we  should  serve  him, 
'  And  what  will  it  profit  us  if  we  pray  unto  him  V 

16  '  Lo,  their  good'  [you  say]  '  is  not  in  their  own  hand' — 
(Far  from  me  be  the  defence  of  the  wicked ;) 

17  [But]  how  often  does  it  occur  that  the  light  of  the  wicked  is  put 

out, 
And  that  destruction  cometh  upon  them, 
And  that  God  distributeth  to  them  sorrows  in  his  wrath  ? 

18  How  often  are  they  as  stubble  before  the  wind, 
And  as  chaff  that  the  storm  carrieth  away  ? 

19  [You  say]   *  God  layeth  up  his  iniquity  for  his  children , 
'  He  rewardeth  him,  and  he  shall  know  it. 

20  '  His  eyes  shall  see  his  destruction, 

'  And  he  shall  drink  of  the  wrath  of  the  Almighty. 

21  '  For  what  is  his  happiness  in  his  family  after  him, 

'  When  the  number  of  his  own  months  are  cut  off  in  the  midst  V 

22  [But  I  reply]   Who  shall  impart  knowledge  to  God, 
To  him  who  judgeth  the  highest ! 

23  One  dieth  in  the  fulness  of  his  prosperity. 
Being  wholly  at  ease  and  quiet — 

24  His  watering-places  for  flocks  abound  with  milk. 
And  his  bones  are  moist  with  marrow ; 

25  And  another  dieth  in  the  bitterness  of  his  soul. 
And  never  tasteth  pleasure. 

26  Alike  they  lie  down  in  the  dust, 
And  the  worm  covereth  them. 

27  Lo !  I  know  your  thoughts, 

And  the  devices  by  which  you  wrong  me. 


39  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

28  For  ye  say,  '  Where  is  the  house  of  the  prince  ? 
'  And  where  the  dwelling-place  of  the  wicked  1' 

29  Have  ye  not  inquired  of  the  travellers, 
And  will  you  not  admit  their  testimony, 

30  That  the  wicked  man  is  kept  for  the  day  of  destruction, 
And  that  he  shall  be  brought  forth  in  the  day  of  fierce  wrath 

31  Who  charges  him  with  his  way  to  his  face  ? 

And  who  recompenses  to  him  that  which  he  has  done  ? 

32  And  he  shall  be  borne  [with  honor]  to  the  grave ; 
And  [friends]  shall  watch  tenderly  over  his  tomb. 

33  Sweet  to  him  shall  be  the  clods  of  the  valley  ; 
Every  man  shall  go  out  to  honor  him. 

And  of  those  before  him  there  shall  be  no  number, 

34  And  why  then  do  you  offer  me  vain  consolations — 
Since  in  your  responses  there  is  error  1 


CHAPTER  XXH 
TTie  third  series  in  the  controversy.     Ch.  xxii.-xxxi. 

THE  THIRD   SPEECH  OF  EUPHAZ. 

1  Then  Eliphaz  the  Temanite  answered  and  said  . 

2  Can  a  man  then  be  profitable  to  God, 

As  a  wise  man  may  be  profitable  to  himself? 

3  Is  it  a  pleasure  to  the  Almighty  if  thou  be  just, 

Or  gain  to  him  shouldst  thou  make  thy  ways  perfect ' 

4  Will  he  contend  with  thee  because  he  feareth  thee — 
With  THEE  will  he  enter  into  judgment? 

5  Is  not  thy  wickedness  great  ? 
Is  there  any  end  to  thy  sins  ? 

6  For  thou  hast  taken  a  pledge  of  thy  brother  unjustly. 
And  stripped  off  the  clothing  of  the  destitute. 

7  Thou  hast  not  given  water  to  the  weary  to  drink, 
And  from  the  hungry  thou  hast  withholden  bread. 


/lEV/    TRANSLATION,  87 

8  But  the  man  of  power  had  the  land; 
The  man  of  rank  dwelt  in  it. 

9  Thou  hast  sent  widows  away  empty, 

And  the  arms  of  the  fatherless  thou  hast  broken. 

10  Therefore  snares  are  round  about  thee, 
And  sudden  fear  troubleth  thee 

1 1  Or  darkness,  so  that  thou  canst  not  see, 
And  floods  of  waters  cover  thee. 

12  Is  not  God  in  the  height  of  heaven  ? 
And  behold  the  stars,  how  high  they  are ! 

13  And  [hence]  thou  sayest,  '  How  doth  God  know? 
'  And  can  he  judge  behind  the  thick  darkness  1 

i4<  '  Thick  clouds  are  a  covering  to  him,  that  he  cannot  see , 
*  And  he  walketh  upon  the  arch  of  heaven.' 

15  But  hast  thou  marked  the  ancient  way 
Which  wicked  men  have  trodden  1 

16  Who  were  huddled  together  [by  the  waters]  in  a  moment, 
And  whose  foundations  the  flood  swept  away? 

17  Who  said  unto  God,  '  Depart  from  us;' 

And  [who  asked]  what  the  Almighty  could  do  for  them? 
IS  And  yet  he  filled  their  houses  with  good  things! 
Far  from  me  be  the  counsel  of  the  wicked  ! 

19  The  righteous  see  it,  and  rejoice  ; 

And  the  innocent  hold  them  in  derision  [saying  :] 

20  '  Truly  our  adversary  is  destroyed  ! 

'  The  fire  hath  consumed  their  abundance  !' 

21  Acquaint  now  thyself  with  him,  and  thou  shalt  have  peace* 
And  thus  shall  good  come  unto  thee. 

22  Receive,  I  pray  thee,  the  law  from  his  mouth. 
And  lay  up  his  words  in  thine  heart. 

23  If  thou  return  to  the  Almighty  thou  shalt  be  built-up;  ^ 
If  thou  put  away  iniquity  from  thy  tabernacle, 

24  And  cast  to  the  dust  thy  precious  treasure. 

And  to  the  stones  of  the  brooks  [again]  the  gold  of  Ophir, 

25  Then  shall  the  Almighty  be  thy  precious  treasure. 
And  shall  be  to  thee  piles  of  silver. 


38  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

26  For  then  shalt  thou  have  delight  in  the  Almighty, 
And  shalt  lift  up  thy  face  unto  God. 

27  Thou  shalt  pray  unto  him,  and  he  shall  hear  thee, 
And  thou  shalt  perfect  [the  object  of]   thy  vows. 

28  Thou  shalt  form  a  purpose  and  it  shall  be  accomplished, 
And  upon  thy  ways  shall  the  light  shine. 

29  When  [other  men]   are  cast  down. 
Thou  shalt  say,  '  Cheer  up  !' 

And  the  dejected  thou  shalt  save. 

30  Thou  shalt  deliver  even  the  guilty  man — 
He  shall  be  saved  by  the  purity  of  thy  hands 


CHAPTER  XXHI 

The  third  series  of  the  controversy  continued 

THE  ANSWER  OF  JOB.       Cll.  XxHi.  XXiv. 

1  Then  Job  answered  and  saidl 

2  Even  to-day  is  my  complaint  bitter 

The  hand  that  is  upon  me  is  heavier  than  my  groaning. 

3  O  that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  him  ! 
That  I  might  come  even  to  his  seat ! 

4  I  would  order  my  cause  before  him, 
And  fill  my  mouth  with  arguments ; 

5  I  would  know  the  words  which  Tie  would  answer  me. 
And  understand  what  he  would  say  unto  me. 

6  Would  he  contend  with  me  with  his  mighty  power  ? 
No :  he  would  give  me  strength. 

7  There  the  righteous  man  might  argue  the  case  before  him; 
And  I  should  be  delivered  for  ever  from  him  who  would  judge 

me. 

8  But,  behold,  I  go  to  the  East,  and  he  is  not  there, 
And  to  the  West,  but  I  cannot  perceive  him ; 

9  To  the  North,  where  he  doth  work,  but  I  cannot  behold  him. 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  39 

He  hideth  himself  in  the  South,  but  1  cannot  see  him. 
10  But  he  knoweth  my  way  ; 

When  he  has  tried  me,  I  shall  come  forth  as  gold. 
]  1   On  his  steps  my  foot  hath  seized  ; 

His  way  I  have  kept,  and  have  not  turned  from  it. 

12  The  commandment  of  his  lips  I  have  not  neglected  ; 

More  than  every  purpose  of  my  own  have  I  regarded  the  words 
of  his  mouth. 

13  But  he  is  of  one  [purpose],  and  who  can  turn  him  ? 
And  what  he  desireth,  that  he  doeth. 

14  He  performeth  the  thing  that  is  appointed  for  me  j 
And  there  are  many  such  purposes  in  his  mind, 

15  Therefore  I  am  troubled  before  him ; 
When  I  consider,  I  am  afraid  of  him. 

16  For  God  maketh  my  heart  faint, 
And  the  Almighty  troubleth  me  ; 

17  Because  I  was  not  taken  away  before  darkness  came, 
And  he  hath  not  hidden  the  cloud  from  mine  eyes. 

Chap.  XXIV. 

1  Why,  since  no  events  are  hidden  from  the  Almighty, 
Do  not  his  friends  see  his  judgments  ? 

2  They  [the  wicked]  remove  the  landmarks  ; 
They  drive  off  the  flock  and  pasture  it. 

3  They  drive  away  the  ass  of  the  fatherless ; 
They  take  the  widow's  ox  for  a  pledge. 

4  They  push  the  needy  from  the  way  ; 

The  poor  of  the  earth  hide  themselves  together. 

5  Behold,  like  wild  asses  of  the  desert,  they  go  forth  to  their  em- 

ployment. 
Rising  early  in  the  morning  to  plunder  ; 
The  desert  furnishes  food  to  them  and  their  children. 

6  They  reap  their  grain  in  the  field  [of  others], 
And  they  gather  the  vintage  of  the  oppressor. 

7  They  cause  the  naked  to  lodge  without  clothing. 


40  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

And  without  covering  in  the  cold. 

8  They  are  wet  with  the  showers  of  the  mountains, 
And  embrace  the  rock  for  want  of  a  shelter. 

9  They  tear  away  the  fatherless  from  the  breast, 
And  of  the  poor  they  exact  a  pledge. 

10  They  cause  him  to  go  naked  without  clothing; 
And  they  are  made  to  carry  the  sheaf  hungry. 

1 1  They  cause  them  to  express  oil  within  their  walls ; 
They  tread  their  wine-presses,  and  yet  suffer  thirst. 

12  From  the  city  mortals  groan, 

And  the  soul  of  the  wounded  crieth  out ; 
But  God  does  not  lay  this  guilt  to  heart. 

13  Others  hate  the  light; 
They  know  not  its  ways ; 
They  abide  not  in  its  paths. 

14  At  early  dawn  rises  the  murderer  ; 
He  kills  the  poor  and  the  needy  ; 
In  the  night  he  is  as  a  thief 

15  The  eye  of  the  adulterer  waits  for  the  twilight, 
Saying,  '  No  eye  will  see  me,' 

And  he  puts  a  mask  upon  his  face. 

16  In  the  dark  they  dig  through  houses  ; 

In  the  day-time  they  shut  themselves  up ; 
They  are  strangers  to  the  light. 

17  For  the  morning  is  to  them  the  very  shadow  of  death  ; 

For  they  are  familiar  with  the  terrors  of  the  shadow  of  death. 

18  They  are  like  a  light  boat  on  the  face  of  the  waters; 
Accursed  is  their  lot  in  the  earth  ; 

On  the  way  of  vineyards  they  look  not. 

19  Drought  and  heat  steal  away  the  snow  waters; 
The  grave,  in  like  manner,  those  who  have  sinned. 

UO  The  mother  soon  forgets  him ; 

The  worm  feeds  sweetly  on  him  ; 

He  is  no  more  remembered — 

Like  a  decayed  tree  the  wicked  man  [gently]  falls. 
21   He  oppresseth  the  barren,  that  hath  not  borne, 


NEW    TRANSLATION. 


41 


And  doeth  not  good  to  the  widow. 

22  He  destroys  also  the  mighty  by  his  power ; 
He  rises  up,  and  no  one  is  secure  of  life  ; 

23  God  gives  to  him  security,  and  he  is  sustained  ; 
Yea,  his  eyes  are  upon  his  ways. 

24  They  are  exalted  for  a  little  time — and  then  are  not — 

They  are  brought  low,  and  are  gathered  [to  their  fathers]  like 

others ; 
And  like  the  ripe  ears  of  grain  they  are  cut  off. 

25  If  it  be  not  so,  who  will  confute  me, 
And  show  my  speech  to  be  worthless  ? 


CHAPTER  XXV 
The  third  series  in  the  controversy  continued. 

THE    REPLY    OF    BILDAD    TO    JOB. 

1  Then  answered  Bildad  the  Shuhite,  and  said  : 

2  Dominion  and  fear  are  with  Him ; 

He  maintaineth  peace  in  his  high  places. 

3  Is  there  any  numbering  of  his  armies  ? 
And  upon  whom  doth  not  his  light  arise? 

4  And  how  then  can  man  be  righteous  before  God  ? 
And  how  can  he  be  pure  that  is  born  of  a  woman? 

5  Behold,  even  the  moon  is  not  bright ; 
And  the  stars  are  not  pure  in  his  sight. 

6  How  much  less  man  that  is  a  worm  ! 
And  the  son  of  man  that  is  a  reptile ! 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

The  third  series  in  the  controversy  concluded. 

ANSWER  OF  JOB.        Ch.  XXvi.-XXXl. 

1  Then  Job  answered  and  said  : 

2  How  hast  thou  helped  the  weak, 
And  strengthened  the  feeble  arm  ? 

3  How  hast  thou  counselled  the  ignorant, 
And  declared  wisdom  in  abundance  1 

4  To  whom  hast  thou  uttered  these  words, 
And  whose  spirit  went  from  thee  1 

5  The  Shades  tremble  from  beneath, 
The  waters,  and  their  inhabitants. 

6  Sheol  is  naked  before  him. 

And  Destruction  hath  no  covering. 

7  He  stretcheth  out  the  North  over  empty  space, 
And  hangeth  the  earth  upon  nothing. 

8  He  bindeth  up  the  waters  in  his  thick  clouds. 
And  the  cloud  is  not  rent  under  them. 

9  He  withdraweth  the  face  of  his  throne, 
And  spreadeth  his  cloud  upon  it. 

10  He  hath  drawn  a  circular  bound  upon  the  waters. 
To  the  confines  of  the  light  and  darkness. 

11  The  pillars  of  heaven  tremble. 
And  are  astonished  at  his  rebuke. 

12  By  his  power  he  stilleth  the  sea, 

And  by  his  wisdom  he  scourgeth  its  pride. 

13  By  his  spirit  he  hath  garnished  the  heavens; 
His  hand  hath  formed  the  fleeing  serpent. 

14  Lo,  these  are  but  the  outlines  of  his  ways; 

And  how  faint  the  whisper  which  we  hear  of  him  ! 
[Should  he  speak  with]  the  thunder  of  his  power,  who  could 
understand  him  ? 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  48 


Chap.  XXVII. 


1   Moreover,  Job  continued  his  discourse,  and  said  : 
3  As  God  liveth,  who  has  rejected  my  cause, 

And  the  Almighty,  who  has  embittered  my  spirit, 

3  As  long  as  I  have  life  in  me, 

And  the  breath  imparted  by  God  is  in  my  nostrils, 

4  My  lips  shall  not  speak  wickedness, 
Nor  my  tongue  utter  deceit. 

5  Far  be  it  from  me  that  I  should  acknowledge  you  to  be  correct ; 
Till  I  die  I  will  assert  my  integrity. 

6  My  righteousness  I  hold  fast,  and  will  not  loose  my  grasp ; 
My  heart  shall  not  reproach  me  for  any  part  of  my  life. 

7  Let  mine  enemy  be  as  the  wicked. 

And  he  that  riseth  up  against  me  as  the  unrighteous. 

8  For  what  is  the  hope  of  the  hypocrite  when  [God]  cuts  him  off; 
When  he  taketh  away  his  life? 

9  Will  God  listen  to  his  cry 
When  trouble  cometh  upon  him  1 

10  Will  he  delight  himself  in  the  Almighty? 
Will  he  call  at  all  times  upon  God  '^ 

11  I  will  teach  you  by  the  operations  of  God ; 

That  which  is  with  the  Almighty  I  will  not  conceal. 

12  Behold,  ye  yourselves  have  all  seen  it ; 

And  why  do  you  cherish  such  vain  opinions  [saying]  : 

13  '  This  is  the  portion  of  a  wicked  man  from  God; 

'  And  the  inheritance  which  oppressors  receive  from  the  Al- 
mighty— 

14  '  If  his  children  are  multiplied,  it  is  for  the  sword  ; 
'  And  his  offspring  shall  not  be  satisfied  with  bread. 

15  *  His  survivors  shall  be  buried  by  Death, 
'  And  his  widows  shall  not  weep. 

16  '  Though  he  heap  up  silver  as  the  dust, 
'  And  prepare  raiment  as  the  mire, 

17  '  He  may  prepare  it,  but  the  just  shall  wear  it, 
'  And  the  innocent  shall  share  the  silver. 


44 


NEW    TRANSLATION. 


18  *  He  buildeth  his  house  like  the  moth, 
*Or  like  a  shed  which  a  watchman  maketh. 

19  '  The  rich  man  lieth  down,  and  is  not  buried ; 
'  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  he  is  no  more. 

20  *  Terrors  come  upon  him  like  waters  ; 

'  In  the  night  a  tempest  stealeth  him  away. 

21  'The  East  wind  carrieth  him  away,  and  he  departeth ; 
'  And  it  sweeps  him  away  from  his  place. 

22  *  For  God  shooteth  at  him,  and  does  not  spare ; 
'  He  would  gladly  escape  out  of  his  hand. 

23  *  Men  clap  their  hands  at  him  ; 

'  They  hiss  him  away  from  his  place.' 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

1  Truly  there  is  a  vein  for  silver, 

And  a  place  for  gold  where  they  refine  it. 

2  Iron  is  obtained  from  the  earth, 
And  ore  is  fused  into  copper. 

3  Man  putteth  an  end  to  darkness, 

And  completely  searches  every  thing — 

The  rocks — the  thick  darkness — and  the  shadow  of  death. 

4  He  sinks  a  shaft  far  from  a  human  dwelling ; 
They,  unsupported  by  the  feet,  hang  suspended ; 
Far  from  men  they  swing  to  and  fro. 

5  The  earth — out  of  it  cometh  bread  ; 

And  when  turned  up  beneath,  it  resembles  fire. 

6  Its  stones  are  the  place  of  sapphires. 
And  gold  dust  pertains  to  it. 

7  The  path  thereto  no  bird  knoweth, 
And  the  vulture's  eye  hath  not  seen  it. 

8  The  fierce  wild  beasts  have  not  trodden  it; 
And  the  lion  hath  not  walked  over  it. 

9  Man  layeth  his  hand  upon  the  flinty  rock ; 

He  upturneth  mountains  from  their  foundations. 


NEW    TJIANSLATION.  46 

10  He  cutteth  out  canals  among  the  rocks, 
And  his  eye  seeth  every  precious  thing. 

1 1  He  restraineth  the  streams  from  trickling  down. 
And  bringeth  hidden  things  to  light. 

12  But  where  shall  wisdom  be  found  1 

And  where  is  the  place  of  understanding? 

13  Man  knoweth  not  the  price  thereof; 

Nor  can  it  be  found  in  the  land  of  the  living. 

14  The  deep  saith,  It  is  not  in  me ; 
And  the  sea  saith,  It  is  not  with  me. 

15  The  pure  gold  cannot  purchase  it ; 

And  silver  cannot  be  weighed  out  as  its  price, 

16  It  cannot  be  estimated  by  the  gold  of  Ophir ; 
By  the  precious  onyx,  or  the  sapphire 

17  Gold  and  the  crystal  are  not  to  be  compared  with  it. 
And  jewels  of  fine  gold  cannot  buy  it. 

18  No  mention  shall  be  made  of  coral  or  of  crystal, 
For  the  price  of  wisdom  is  above  rubies. 

19  The  topaz  of  Cush  cannot  equal  it; 
Nor  can  it  be  purchased  with  pure  gold. 

20  Whence,  then.cometh  wisdom? 

And  where  is  the  place  of  understanding  1 

21  Since  it  is  concealed  from  the  eyes  of  all  the  living, 
And  hidden  from  the  fowls  of  the  air. 

22  Destruction  and  Death  say, 

'  We  have  heard  [only]  a  rumor  of  it  with  our  ears.* 

23  God  causes  its  way  to  be  understood, 
And  he  knows  its  place. 

24  For  he  looketh  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  ; 
[All]  that  is  under  the  whole  heavens  he  seeth. 

25  When  to  the  winds  he  gave  weight, 
And  when  he  measured  out  the  waters ; 

26  When  he  prescribed  laws  for  the  rain. 
And  a  path  for  the  thunder-flash  ; 

27  Then  he  saw  it,  and  he  made  it  known ; 
He  prepared  it,  and  he  also  searched  it  out 


49  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

28  And  he  said  to  man — 

'  Lo !  the  fear  of  the  Lord — that  is  wisdom ; 
*  And  departure  from  evil  is  understanding  * 


Chap.  XXIX. 

1  Moreover,  Job  continued  his  discourse,  and  said : 

2  O  that  I  were  as  in  months  past, 

As  in  the  days  when  God  was  my  protector ! 

3  When  his  lamp  shone  over  my  head, 

And  when  by  his  light  I  walked  through  darkness] 

4  As  I  was  in  the  days  of  my  strength, 
When  God  abode  in  my  tent  as  a  friend  ! 

5  When  the  Almighty  was  yet  with  me. 
And  my  children  were  round  about  me  ! 

6  When  I  washed  my  steps  in  cream, 

And  the  rock  poured  me  out  rivers  of  oil ! 

7  When  I  went  forth  to  the  gate  through  the  city, 
And  prepared  my  seat  in  the  public  place, 

8  The  young  men  saw  me,  and  respectfully  retired  before  me 
And  the  aged  arose,  and  stood. 

9  The  princes  refrained  from  speaking, 
And  laid  their  hand  upon  their  mouth. 

10  The  voice  of  counsellors  was  silent. 

And  their  tongue  cleaved  to  the  roof  of  their  mouth. 

11  For  the  ear  heard,  and  it  blessed  me ; 

And  the  eye  saw,  and  it  bore  witness  to  me. 

12  For  I  rescued  the  poor  when  they  cried. 

And  the  fatherless,  when  there  was  none  to  help  him. 

13  The  blessing  of  him  that  was  ready  to  perish  came  upon  me, 
And  I  caused  the  heart  of  the  widow  to  sing  with  joy. 

14  I  put  on  righteousness,  and  it  clothed  me  ; 
And  justice  was  my  robe  and  diadem. 

15  I  was  eyes  to  the  blind, 
And  feet  was  I  to  the  lame ; 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  -Wi 

16  T  was  a  father  to  the  poor, 

And  the  cause  of  the  unknown  I  searched  out. 

17  And  I  broke  the  teeth  of  the  wicked, 

And  from  their  teeth  I  plucked  away  the  spoil. 

18  Then  said  1,  '  I  shall  die  in  my  nest; 

'  I  shall  multiply  my  days  as  the  sand.' 

19  My  root,  was  exposed  to  the  waters, 
The  dew  lay  all  night  on  my  branches. 

20  My  glory  was  fresh  in  me. 

And  my  bow  gathered  strength  in  my  hand. 

21  To  me  men  gave  ear  and  waited, 
And  were  silent  at  my  counsel. 

22  After  my  words  they  made  no  reply, 
And  my  speech  dropped  upon  them. 

23  And  they  waited  for  me  as  for  the  rain  ; 

And  they  opened  their  mouths  wide  as  for  the  latter  rain. 

24  Did  I  smile  upon  them,  they  confided  not  [in  their  plans], 
And  the  light  of  my  countenance  they  could  not  cast  down. 

25  I  chose  out  their  way,  and  sat  as  a  chief; 

I  dwelt  as  a  king  in  the  midst  of  an  army, 
And  as  a  comforter  among  mourners. 

Chap.  XXX. 

1  But  now  they  who  are  younger  than  I  have  me  in  derision, 
Whose  fathers  I  would  have  disdained  to  set  with  the  dogs  of 

my  flock. 

2  Yet  the  strength  of  their  hands,  what  is  it  to  me, 
In  whom  vigor  is  perished  ? 

3  On  account  of  hunger  and  famine  they  are  wholly  emaciated ; 
Gnawing  in  the  wilderness — 

In  the  shades  of  desolation  and  waste. 

4  Who  pluck  up  the  salt-wort  among  the  bushes, 
And  the  root  of  the  Retem  is  their  food. 

5  They  were  driven  from  among  men  ; 

They  shouted  after  them  as  after  a  thief.  -"■' 


4S  N«W    TKKN'SXVVION 

o   rh^\i  \iwvll  in  hvvrrui  v»Ue\,*. 

5^  ChiUlwu  vxf  th*  Rx>l ;  yts*.  c.hil<li«i  of  llMMt  wiUnvA  ft  M1M« 
i^   Auvl  nv>xr  I  »u\  b<>cvvu<»  iWir  s>iM\|j ; 
10    rh<»r  AKv«i«*»<>  i«<».  tWv  i4Mul  »KxkMf  tVv>«  »«, 

l*J  <."Ht  »«T  r^r^t  kWHl  ffeess  vr,>  iho  lv>w  hrwni ; 
TWt  trip  up  TOT  lfi?<>< ; 

m  TWt  hr«Nik  uj>  my  pAth  . 
'rh<>T  h<>lp  iv>rw«t\i  mt  nun — 
M<»«  wh\>  h*inp  »H^  Mjxvr  ! 

14  As  thrvHXjjh  «  xrulo  hrysiich  th<>T  c»iit«  »{XMi  iwft» 

TtK'y  r\>ll<Nl  th<>ms»<^r<»*  tumuhvKHisly  !id<Hij|;  with  th*  mina  I 

15  T«>rr\>rs  Jiro  uiruo^l  ujxmi  uk*  . 

Th<»T  pursvi<»  my  j:vnoT\His  n«uiit>  »>'  thif  xriud ; 

Anvi  my  xrvltAre  h**  pAs^si  *wAy  *s  a  oUhi»1. 
U>  Ami  now  my  #\hiI  is  |HMir<\l  «.mu  u|xmi  n>o  ; 

l^K*d*y*  of  *tHi:4ivw  h«re  t«kon  hv>ld  ujhmj  nvs 
IT  At  nijht  my  Kmu^  «ni»  piorc«<i  thryMmtk; 

Ami  wy  JAws  t*ko  no  Tt>st, 
IS  By  it:$  ^ri^At  p^>wi^  [di$>^«s^>]  h»$  b<>«<cMtt«  mygMiWit; 

\t  ciTxis  nx?  abKHit  liko  tW  wvMith  of  my  tankx 
li>  Ho  hath  c*s<  n>o  inu>  tho  mirt*. 

And  I  *m  NiHVM«i?  liki?  dus*  «wJ  a*h«>*, 
^)  I  cry  unto  thtv.  but  thvMi  d^v^t  nvX  hiNir  nw; 

I  stand  up.  Ihii  thvMi  dvxst  nv>t  rt»^*nl  n»<» 
5Jl  ThvHi  art  bxHXMtK*  onxrf  unto  m^  j 

Wuh  thy  strvxnj  hand  thvHi  dv^st  j>^rs«;vino  r.u' 
\M    ThvHi  Ut\«st  m^  vip  tv>  th<^  wind ;  th^Hi  caus<^s<  uh>  to  rttk  upon  it , 


Nr.W    1  II  ANnl.ATION.  49 

'I'liuu  ciiiiscst  iiir  lo  null  fuviiy  ,    tlmii  Icrnlic  ;l  mn. 
'2'>\    For  I   know  lliiit  llioii  will  Itriii^  iiin  lo  ilriitli  ; 

Anil  to  llii)  iiouKO  appoiiilrd  lor  <ill  living 
*2i    Nrvortholo^N  ovrr  tlio  riiiiiH  lio  will  not  Btrrlcli  out  Ins  liiiiid, 

If  when  lie  (Irsfroys  (lirrc  in  priiyrr  iiinon^  iIkmii 
2r»    Did  not  I  wrrp  lor  liiiii  lliiil  wiim  in  troiiMr? 

Was  not  my  soul  ({ricvoil  for  the  poor  f 
'2(\    W'lirn  I  lookrd  for  jjood,  tlirii  rvil  cniiKi  ; 

W'Ikmi  I  looked  lor  lif^Iit,  IIkmi  canir  darkncrs.i 
27    My  Ix.wrls  lioil,  mid  rest  not; 

Tlie  days  of  anj^nisli  have  ••.oinr  upon  iinv 
'2H    I  am  heconie  hlaek,  hiil  not  hy  tlnr  biiii  ; 

I  stand  iiji  and  \\ee|>  in  iht^  coiis^ro^atioii. 
'2\i    I  am  lier.omi^  a  hrolher  to  thi^  jar,k/il, 

And  a  rompnnion  to  the  oRtrirh 
)tl)    My  skin  IS  Mack   upon  iiie  , 

And  my  Ixhich  hiirn  with  heat. 
',U    My  harp  also  m  turned  to  moiiriiiiig, 

And  my  pipe  lo  noles  of  (^rief. 

CiiAi.    XX  Xi. 

1  I  inadi^  n  covrnanl  with  tiiiiio  (tyvif; 
How  tlieii  roiild  I  think  upon  a  virgin? 

2  For  what  portion  Hlioidd  i  havn  from  (Jod  ahove, 

And  what  would  he.  my  iiih(^ritani'.e  from  the  Almighty  on  hi({li  P 
;{   Is  not  di^struction  for  tin?  wicknil, 

And  Htraujje  pniiiHlimeiit  for  the  workiirs  of  iniipiily? 
4    Does  he  not  see  iny  ways, 

Ami  nniidier  all  my  steps? 
r>    If  I  have  walked  with  falsidioorl, 

And  if  my  foot  hath  hasted  alter  deception, 
it   Lri  Ilim  wcigii  mn  in  nii  even  hnlnnco, 

And  let  (lod  know  my  intej^rity. 
7    Ffiiiy  steps  have  turiie«l  aside  IVoin  the  way, 

And  my  heart  hav<' followed  my  ^*y<^^, 
16 


50  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

And  any  stain  have  cleaved  to  my  hand, 

8  Then  may  I  sow,  and  another  reap, 
And  then  may  my  harvests  be  rooted  up  ' 

9  If  my  heart  have  been  enticed  by  a  woman ; 
Or  if  I  have  laid  wait  at  my  neighbor's  door, 

10  Then  let  my  wife  be  a  mill-wench  to  another. 
And  let  others  bow  down  upon  her. 

1 1  For  this  is  a  heinous  crime  ; 

Yea,  this  would  be  iniquity  to  be  punished  by  the  judges. 

12  For  it  is  a  fire  that  would  burn  to  destruction. 
And  root  out  all  my  increase. 

13  If  I  have  refused  justice  to  my  man-servant  or  maid-servant 
When  they  had  a  cause  with  me, 

14  What  shall  I  do  when  God  riseth  up? 

And  when  he  visiteth,  what  shall  I  answer  him  ? 

15  Did  not  He  that  made  me  in  the  womb  make  him? 
Did  not  the  same  One  fashion  us  in  the  womb  ? 

16  If  I  have  withheld  the  poor  from  their  desire. 
Or  caused  the  eyes  of  the  widov/  to  fail 

17  If  I  have  eaten  my  morsel  alone 

And  the  fatherless  hath  not  eaten  of  it ; 

18  (For  from  my  youth  he  [the  orphan]   grew  up  with  me,  as  with 

a  father. 
And  I  was  her  guide  [of  the  widow]  from  my  earliest  days) ; — 

19  If  I  have  seen  any  one  perishing  for  want  of  clothing, 
Or  any  poor  man  without  covering  ; 

20  If  his  loins  have  not  blessed  me, 

And  if  he  has  not  been  warmed  with  the  fleece  of  my  sheep, 

21  If  I  have  lifted  up  my  hand  against  the  fatherless, 
Because  I  saw  that  I  had  help  in  the  gate ; 

22  Then  may  my  shoulder  fall  from  the  blade, 
And  mine  arm  be  broken  from  the  upper-bone ! 

23  For  destruction  from  God  was  a  terror  to  me ; 
And  before  his  majesty  I  could  not  do  it. 

24  If  I  have  made  gold  my  trust, 

Or  said  to  the  fine  gold.  Thou  art  my  confidence; 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  51 

25  If  I  rejoiced  because  my  wealth  was  great. 
And  because  mine  hand  had  found  much; 

26  If  I  beheld  the  sun  when  it  shnied, 

And  the  moon  advancing  in  its  brightness, 

27  And  my  heart  has  been  secretly  enticed, 
And  my  mouth  has  kissed  my  hand — 

28  This  also  would  have  been  a  crime  to  be  punished  by  the  judge, 
For  I  should  have  denied  the  God  who  is  above. 

29  If  I  have  rejoiced  at  the  destruction  of  him  that  hated  me- 
And  exulted  v/hen  evil  came  upon  him  — 

30  But  no  !  I  have  not  suffered  my  mouth  to  sin 
By  imprecating  a  curse  on  his  soul ; — 

31  If  my  domestics  could  not  at  all  times  say, 

*  Who  will  show  an  instance  when  we  have  not  been  satisfied 
from  his  hospitable  table?'* 

32  The  stranger  did  not  lodge  in  the  street, 
My  doors  I  opened  to  the  traveller  ; 

33  If  I  have  covered  my  transgressions  as  Adam, 
By  concealing  my  iniquity  in  my  bosom, 

34  Then  let  me  be  confounded  before  a  great  multitude  ! 
Let  the  contempt  of  families  crush  me ! 

Yea,  let  me  keep  silence,  and  never  go  out  of  my  door  I 

35  O  that  He  would  hear  me  ! 

Behold,  my  defence  !  May  the  Almighty  answer  me  ! 
Would  that  He  who  contends  with  me  would  write  down  his 
charge ! 

36  Truly  upon  my  shoulder  would  I  bear  it ; 
I  would  bind  it  upon  me  as  a  diadem ! 

37  I  would  tell  the  number  of  my  steps  to  him ; 
Like  a  prince  would  I  approach  him ! 

38  If  my  land  cry  out  against  me, 
And  the  furrows  likewise  complain  ; 

39  If  I  have  eaten  its  fruits  without  payment, 
And  extorted  the  living  of  its  owners ; 

*  This  translation  is  more  paraphrastic  than  I  have  made  in  any  other  in- 
sjtari^e,  but  it  was  not  easy  to  express  tlie  sense  by  a  literal  rendering. 


52  NKW    1RANSLATION. 

40  Let  thistles  grow  up  instead  ol  wheat, 
And  noxious  weeds  instead  of  barley. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

SPEECH    OF    ELIHU. 

1  So  these  three  men  ceased    to  answer  Job,  because    he  was 

2  righteous  in  his  own  eyes.  Then  was  kindled  the  anger  of 
Elihu,  the  son  of  Barachel  the  Buzite,  of  the  family  of  Ram ; 
against  Job  was  his  anger  kindled,  because  he  vindicated  him- 

3  self  more  than  God.  Also  against  his  three  friends  was  his 
anger  kindled,  because  they  had  not  found  an  answer,  and  yet 

4  had   condemned   Job.     Now    Elihu    had   waited  till   Job   had 

5  spoken,  because  they  were  older  than  himself.  When  Elihu 
saw  that  there  was   no  answer   in  the  mouth  of  these  three 

6  men,  then  his  anger  was  kindled.  Then  Elihu,  the  son  of 
Barachel  the  Buzite,  answered  and  said : 

I  am  young,  and  ye  are  very  old  ; 

Therefore  I  was  afraid, 

And  durst  not  make  known  to  you  my  opinion. 

7  I  said,  '  Days  should  speak, 

'  And  multitude  of  years  should  teach  wisdom.* 

8  But  there  is  a  Spirit  in  man  ; 

And  the  Inspiration  of  the  Almighty  giveth  him  understanding, 

9  Great  men  are  not  always  wise ; 

Neither  do  the  aged  always  understand  what  is  right. 

10  Therefore  I  said,  '  Hearken  unto  me  ; 
'  I  also  will  declare  mine  opinion.' 

11  Behold,  I  waited  for  your  words ; 
I  listened  for  your  arguments. 
While  ye  searched  out  what  to  say. 

12  Yea,  I  have  attended  to  you  ; 

And  behold  there  is  no  one  that  hath  refuted  Job, 


NKW   TUANSLAllON.  53 

Or  answered  his  words  : — 

13  Lest  ye  should  say,  '  We  have  found  out  wisdom  ;' — 
God  only  can  subdue  him  ;   not  man. 

14  Now,  he  did  not  direct  his  discourse  against  me ; 
And  I  will  not  answer  him  with  speeches  like  yours. 

15  They  were  confounded;  they  answered  no  more; 
They  put  words  far  from  them. 

16  And  I  waited,  although  they  did  not  speak  ; 
Although  they  stood  still,  and  answered  no  more. 

17  Even  I  will  answer  now  on  my  part. 
Even  I  will  show  mine  opinion. 

18  For  I  am  full  of  words ; 

The  spirit  within  me  doth  constrain  me. 

19  BehoM  I  am  as  wine  which  has  no  vent; 
I  am  ready  to  burst  like  new  bottles. 

20  I  will  speak  that  I  may  breathe  more  freely, 
I  will  open  my  lips  and  reply. 

21  May  I  not  be  partial  to  any  man's  person ! 
And  let  me  not  flatter  any  one  ! 

22  For  I  cannot  flatter — 

In  a  little  time  my  Maker  will  bear  me  away ! 

Chap.  XXXIII. 

1  Hear,  therefore,  O  Job,  I  beseech  thee,  my  discourse, 
And  to  all  my  words  give  ear. 

2  Behold  now  I  open  my  mouth, 

My  tongue  now  speaks  in  my  mouth. 

3  My  words  shall  be  in  the  uprightness  of  my  heart, 
And  my  lips  shall  speak  knowledge  in  its  purity. 

4  The  Spirit  of  God  hath  made  me. 

And  the  breath  of  the  Almighty  hath  given  me  life. 

5  If  thou  art  able,  answer  me  ; 

Set  [thy  words]  in  array  before  me  ;  stand  firm  ! 
-  6  Lo !  I,  according  to  thy  request,  am  in  the  place  of  God : — 
Yet  from  clay  am  I  also  formed. 


54 


NEW    TRANSLATION. 


7  Lo  !  my  terror  shall  not  make  thee  afraid; 

And  my  hand  shall  not  be  heavy  upon  thee. 
S  Surely  thou  hast  said  in  my  hearing, 

And  I  have  heard  the  voice  of  thy  words, 
9  '  I  am  pure,  and  without  transgression  ; 

'  I  am  innocent,  and  there  is  no  iniquity  in  me. 

10  '  Behold,  He  seeketh  causes  of  enmity  against  me, 
'  He  regardeth  me  as  his  enemy, 

1 1  *  He  putteth  my  feet  in  the  stocks ; 
'  He  watcheth  all  my  paths.' 

12  Behold,  in  this  thou  art  not  right — T  will  answer  thee-:— 
For  God  is  greater  than  man. 

13  Why  dost  thou  strive  against  him  ? 

For  he  doth  not  give  account  of  any  of  his  doings. 

14  For  God  speaketh  once. 

Yea,  twice  when  man  regardeth  it  not. 

15  In  a  dream,  in  a  vision  of  the  night, 
When  deep  sleep  falleth  upon  men. 
In  slumberings  upon  the  bed, 

16  Then  he  openeth  the  ears  of  men, 
And  sealeth  instruction  unto  them ; 

17  That  He  may  turn  man  from  his  purpose, 
And  hide  pride  from  man. 

18  He  keepeth  him  back  from  the  pit, 

And  his  life  from  perishing  by  a  violent  death. 

19  He  is  also  chastened  with  pain  upon  his  bed. 

And  the  multitude  of  his  bones  with  violent  suffering, 

20  So  that  his  life  abhorreth  bread, 
And  his  soul  the  choicest  food. 

21  His  flesh  is  consumed  so  that  it  cannot  be  seen, 
And  his  bones  that  were  invisible  are  naked. 

22  And  his  soul  draweth  near  to  the  pit. 
And  his  life  to  the  destroyers. 

23  If  there  be  with  him  a  messenger  [of  God], 
An  interpreter — one  among  a  thousand — 
To  announce  to  man  his  uprightness, 


NEW    TilANSLA  riON.  55 

24  Then  will  he  be  gracious  unto  him,  and  say, 

*  Deliver  him  from  going  down  to  the  pit ; 

*  I  have  found  a  ransom.' 

25  His  flesh  shall  become  fresher  than  a  child's ; 
He  shall  return  to  the  days  of  his  youth. 

26  He  shall  pray  unto  God  and  he  will  be  merciful  to  him ; 
And  he  shall  see  his  face  with  joy, 

For  he  deals  with  men  in  equity, 

27  He  looketh  attentively  on  man. 
And  when  he  says, 

'  I  have  sinned,  and  acted  perversely, 
And  it  has  been  no  advantage  to  me,' 

28  Then  he  delivers  his  soul  from  going  down  to  the  pit, 
And  his  life  beholds  the  light. 

29  Lo,  all  these  things  doeth  God, 
Twice,  yea  thrice,  with  man, 

30  That  he  may  bring  him  back  from  the  pit, 
To  enjoy  the  light  of  life. 

31  Mark  well,  O  Job,  hearken  unto  me ! 
Keep  silence,  and  I  will  speak. 

32  If  thou  hast  any  thing  to  say,  answer  me; 
Speak,  for  I  desire  to  do  thee  justice. 

33  But  if  not,  do  thou  listen  to  me ; 
Attend,  and  I  will  teach  thee  wisdom. 

Chap.  XXXIV. 

1  And  Elihu  proceeded,  and  said : 

2  Hear  my  words,  ye  wise  men  ; 

And  ye  that  have  knowledge,  give  ear  to  me. 

3  For  the  ear  trieth  words. 
As  the  mouth  tasteth  meat. 

4  Let  us  choose  to  ourselves  what  is  right ; 
Let  us  know  among  ourselves  what  is  good. 

5  For  Job  hath  said,  '  I  am  righteous  ; 

And  God  hath  taken  away  my  right. 

6  In  respect  to  my  cause  I  am  regarded  as  a  liar, 


66  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

*  The  arrow  in  me  is  fatal — though  I  am  free  from  transgression.' 

7  What  man  is  like  Job, 

Who  drinketh  up  scorning  like  water; 

8  Who  keepeth  company  with  the  workers  of  iniquity. 
And  walketh  with  wicked  men  1 

9  For  he  hath  said,  '  It  is  no  advantage  to  a  man 

*  When  he  is  in  friendship  with  God.' 

10  Wherefore  hearken  unto  me,  ye  men  of  understanding. 
Far  be  iniquity  from  God  ! 

And  injustice  far  from  the  Almighty  ! 

11  For  he  will  render  to  man  his  work. 

And  requite  every  man  according  to  his  way. 

12  Surely  God  will  not  do  wickedly, 
Nor  will  the  Almighty  pervert  justice. 

13  Who  hath  committed  to  him  the  charge  of  the  earth? 
Or  who  hath  arranged  the  whole  world  1 

14  If  lie  form  such  a  purpose  in  regard  to  man, 

The  spirit  and  the  breath  he  will  gather  to  himself; 

15  All  flesh  will  expire  together 
And  man  will  return  to  the  dust. 

16  If  thou  hast  understanding,  hear  this  ; 
Hearken  to  the  voice  of  my  words  ! 

17  Shall  he  that  hateth  justice  govern  ? 

Wilt  thou  condemn  him  that  is  supremely  just  ? 
IS  Is  it  proper  to  say  to  a  king,  '  Thou  art  wicked  V 
Or  to  princes,  '  Ye  are  unrighteous  ?' 

19  How  much  more  to  him  that  shows  no  partiality  to  princes 
Nor  regards  the  rich  more  than  the  poor  1 

For  they  are  all  the  work  of  his  hands. 

20  In  a  moment  they  die, 

And  at  midnight  are  the  people  shaken  and  pass  away ; — 
Yea,  the  mighty  are  destroyed  without  hand. 

21  For  his  eyes  are  upon  the  ways  of  men. 
He  seeth  all  their  steps. 

22  There  is  no  darkness  nor  shadow  of  death 

Where  the  workers  of  iniquity  may  hide  themselves. 


NF.W    TR.VNSLAriON.  /  57 

23  For  he  needeth  not  long  to  regard  man 
To  bring  him  before  God  in  judgment. 

24  He  dasheth  in  pieces  the  mighty  without  inquiry, 
And  setteth  others  in  their  stead. 

25  For  he  knoweth  their  works, 

And  he  bringeth  night  upon  them,  and  they  are  crushed. 

26  On  account  of  their  being  wicked  he  smiteth  them 
In  the  presence  of  beholders, 

27  Because  they  turned  away  from  him. 
And  had  no  regard  to  his  ways, 

28  And  caused  the  cry  of  the  poor  to  come  before  him ; — 
For  the  cry  of  the  oppressed  he  heareth. 

29  When  he  giveth  rest,  who  then  can  make  trouble? 

And  when  he  hideth  his  face,  who  then  can  behold  him  ? 
And  this  in  respect  to  a  nation  and  an  individual  alike, 

30  That  the  wicked  should  no  more  reign, 
Nor  be  snares  to  the  people. 

31  Surely  it  is  proper  to  say  to  God, 

'  I  have  received  chastisement ;  I  will  no  more  offend. 

32  '  What  I  see  not,  teach  thou  me ; 

'  If  I  have  done  iniquity,  I  will  do  so  no  more.' 

33  Shall  it  be  from  tliee  that  God  recompenses  it  [human  conduct] 

because  thou  dost  refuse  ? 
For  thou  must  choose,  and  not  1, 
And  what  thou  knowest,  speak. 

34  Men  of  understanding  will  say  to  me. 

And  the  man  of  wisdom  who  has  heard  me, 

35  '  Job  hath  spoken  without  knowledge, 
'  And  his  words  are  without  wisdom.' 

3G  My  desire  is  that  Job  may  be  fully  tried 

On  account  of  his  answers  for  wicked  men. 
37  For  he  hath  added  rebellion  to  his  sin  ; 

He  clappeth  his  hands  among  us, 

And  multiplieth  his  words  against  God. 


58  NE^^   TRANSLATION. 

Chap.  XXXV. 

1  And  Elihu  proceeded  and  said  : 

2  Thinkest  thou  this  to  be  right 

When  thou  saidst  '  I  am  more  righteous  than  God  V 

3  For  thou  hast  said   [to  thyself]   '  What  advantage  will  it  be  to 

thee? 
'  What  profit  shall  I  have  more  than  if  I  had  not  sinned  V 

4  I  will  answer  thee, 

And  thy  companions  with  thee. 

5  Look  up  to  the  heavens,  and  see  ! 

And  behold  the  clouds,  which  are  high  above  thee ! 

6  If  thou  sinnest,  what  doest  thou  against  Him? 

And  if  thy  transgressions  be  multiplied,  what  dost  thou  do  to 

Him? 

7  If  thou  art  righteous,  what  dost  thou  give  Him  ? 

Or  what  does  He  receive  at  thy  hand? 

8  Thy  wickedness  can  injure  only  a  man  like  thyself. 
And  thy  righteousness  profit  only  a  son  of  man. 

9  Men  are  made  to  cry  out  [indeed]  on  account  of  the  multitude 

of  their  wrongs ; 
They  cry  out  on  account  of  the  arm  of  the  mighty. 

10  But  none  saith,  "  Where  is  God  my  maker, 
"  Who  in  the  night  of  calamity  giveth  songs? 

11  "  Who  would  teach  us  more  than  the  beasts  of  the  earth, 
"  And  make  us  wiser  than  the  fowls  of  heaven." 

12  Then  they  cry  aloud,  but  he  giveth  no  answer. 
On  account  of  the  pride  of  [such]  wicked  men 

13  For  God  will  not  hear  vain  supplication. 
Nor  will  the  Almighty  regard  it. 

14  Although  thou  sayest  that  thou  canst  not  see  him. 
Yet  justice  is  with  him ;  only  wait  thou  for  him. 

15  But  now  the  visitations  of  his  anger  are  almost  as  nothing; 
And  he  has  not  taken  cognizance  with  strictness  of  transgression. 

16  Job  hath  opened  his  mouth  without  understanding . 
He  hath  multiplied  words  without  knowledge. 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  59 


Chap.  XXXVI. 


1  Elihu  also  proceeded  and  said  : 

2  Bear  with  me  a  little  farther,  and  I  will  show  you. 
For  there  is  much  yet  to  be  said  for  God. 

3  I  will  bring  my  knowledge  from  afar, 

And  will  ascribe  righteousness  to  my  Maker. 

4  For  truly  my  words  shall  not  be  false  ; 
One  perfect  in  knowledge  is  with  thee. 

5  Behold,  God  is  great,  and  despiseth  not  any  ; 
Great  is  he  in  strength  of  understanding. 

6  He  preserveth  not  the  life  of  the  wicked; 
He  doeth  justice  to  the  oppressed. 

7  He  withdraweth  not  his  eyes  from  the  righteous ; 
But  with  kings  are  they  upon  the  throne, 

And  he  establisheth  them  for  ever,  and  they  are  exalted. 

8  And  if  [the  righteous]  are  bound  in  fetters, 
And  holden  in  the  cords  of  affliction, 

9  Then  he  showeth  them  their  deeds. 

And  their  transgressions  that  they  have  been  great. 

10  He  openeth  also  their  ear  to  instruction, 
And  commandeth  them  to  turn  from  iniquity. 

1 1  If  they  obey  and  serve  him  they  spend  their  days  in  prosperity 
And  their  years  in  pleasures. 

12  But  if  they  will  not  obey  they  perish  with  the  sword, 
And  they  die  without  knowledge. 

13  But  the  hypocrites  in  heart  treasure  up  wrath; 
They  cry  not  [to  God]  when  he  bindeth  them. 

14  They  die  in  their  youth; 

And  their  life  [is  closed]  with  the  grossly  impure. 

15  He  delivereth  the  afflicted  in  their  distress, 
And  openeth  their  ears  in  their  trials. 

IG  In  like  manner  he  would  have  removed  thee  from  a  pent-up 
way 
To  a  broad  place  where  there  is  no  straitness. 
And  the  provision  of  thy  table  would  have  been  full  of  fatness. 


60  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

17  But  if  thou  dost  fully  hold  the  sentiments  of  the  wicked, 
Such  sentiments  and  justice  will  be  close  together.* 

18  For  there  is  wrath  ;  beware  lest  he  take  thee  away  with  his 

stroke  ; 
Then  a  great  ransom  cannot  save  thee. 

19  Will  he  esteem  thy  riches  ? 

No  !  not  gold,  nor  all  the  abundance  of  wealth. 

20  Long  not  for  the  night, 

To  go  to  the  people  beneath  them. 

21  Take  heed  !  regard  not  iniquity, 

For  this  hast  thou  preferred  to  affliction. 

22  Behold,  God  is  exalted  in  his  power ; 
Who  is  a  teacher  like  him  ? 

23  Who  hath  appointed  him  his  way  ? 

And  who  can  say,  '  Thou  hast  done  iniquity?' 

24  Forget  not  thou  to  magnify  hisAt^ork 
On  which  men  look.t 

25  All  men  see  it ; 

Mortals  behold  it  from  afar 

26  Lo,  God  is  great,  and  we  know  him  not ; 
The  number  of  his  years  is  unsearchable. 

27  For  he  draweth  up  the  drops  of  water, 
They  distil  rain  in  its  vapor, 

28  Which  the  clouds  pour  down  ; 

They  pour  it  upon  man  in  abundance. 

29  Who  also  can  understand  the  outspreading  of  the  clouds, 
And  the  fearful  thunderings  in  his  pavilion  1 

30  Behold,  he  spreadeth  his  light  upon  it; 
He  also  covereth  the  depths  of  the  sea. 

31  By  these  he  executeth  judgment  upon  the  people ; 
By  these  also  he  giveth  food  in  abundance. 

32  With  his  hands  he  covereth  the  lightning. 
And  commandeth  it  where  to  strike. 


•  Or,  will  sustain  each  other. 

t  That  is,  the  works  of  the  visible  creation. 


NEW    TKANSLATION.  61 

33  He  pointeth  out  to  it  his  friends — 

The  collecting  of  his  wrath  is  upon  the  wicked. 

Chap.  XXXVII. 

1  At  this  also  my  heart  palpitates, 
And  is  moved  out  of  its  place. 

2  Hear,  O  hear  the  thunder  of  his  voice  ! 

The  muttering  thunder  that  goes  from  his  mouth  ! 

3  He  directeth  it  under  the  whole  heaven, 
And  his  lightning  to  the  ends  of  the  earth 

4  After  it,  the  thunder  roareth ; 

He  thundereth  with  the  voice  of  his  majesty,  ^ 

And  he  will  not  restrain  the  tempest  when  his  voice  is  heard. 

5  God  thundereth  marvellously  with  his  voice  ; 

He  doeth  wonders  which  we  cannot  comprehend. 

6  For  he  saith  to  the  snow,  '  Be  thou  on  the  earth,' 

To  the  pouring  forth  of  the  rain,  also ;  even  the  pouring  forth 
of  his  mighty  rains. 

7  He  sealeth  up  the  hand  of  every  man, 

That  all  the  men  whom  he  has  made  may  have  knowledge. 

8  Then  the  beasts  go  into  their  dens, 
And  abide  in  their  caverns. 

9  Out  of  the  South  cometh  the  whirlwind. 
And  cold  out  of  the  North. 

10  By  the  breath  of  God  the  frost  is  produced, 
And  the  broad  waters  become  compressed. 

1 1  Serenity  also  expels  the  thick  cloud  ; 
His  light  scatters  the  cloud, 

12  And  it  is  turned  about  by  his  direction. 

To  execute  all  that  he  has  commanded  upon  the  face  of  the 
habitable  world. 

13  Whether  for  correction,  or  for  his  land,  or  for  mercy, 
He  causeth  it  to  come. 

14  Give  ear,  O  Job,  to  this; 

Stand  and  consider  the  wonderful  works  of  God. 


62  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

15  Dost  thou  know  how  God  arranges  these  things, 

And  how  he  causes  the  lightning  to  flash  from  the  dark  cloud? 

16  Dost  thou  understand  how  the  clouds  are  suspended, 
The  wondrous  works  of  Him  that  is  perfect  in  wisdom  ? 

17  How  thy  garments  become  warm, 

When  he  maketh  the  earth  sultry  by  the  South  wind  ? 

18  Hast  thou  aided  him  in  spreading  out  the  firmament, 
That  stands  strong,  like  a  molten  mirror 

19  Teach  us  what  we  shall  say  unto  him  ; 

We  cannot  address  him  by  reason  of  darkness 

20  Shall  it  be  told  him  that  I  have  presumed  to  speak  T 
Surely  if  a  man  should  speak  to  him,  he  would  be  destroyed. 

21  And  now — men  cannot  look  upon  the  bright  splendor  that  is  on 

the  clouds. 
For  the  wind  passeth  along,  and  maketh  an  opening  ! 

22  Golden  splendor  approaches  from  the  North  : — 
How  fearful  is  the  majesty  of  God  ! 

23  The  Almighty ! — we  cannot  find  him  out ! 

Great  in  power,  and  injustice,  and  vast  in  righteousness! 
He  does  not  oppress  ! 

24  Wherefore  men  should  be  filled  with  awe; 
The  wise  in  heart  he  does  not  regard. 


CHAPTER  XXXVni. 

jehotah's  first  AunRzss  TO  JOB.     Ch.  xxxviii.,  xxxix. 

1  Then  Jehovah  answered  Job  out  of  the  storm,  and  said : 

2  Who  is  this  that  darkeneth  counsel  by  words  without  knowledge  ? 

3  Gird  up  now  thy  loins  like  a  man  ; 

I  will  put  questions  to  thee,  and  do  thou  inform  me. 

4  Where  wast  thou  when  I  founded  the  earth? 
Declare,  if  thou  hast  knowledge  ! 

5  Who  then  fixed  the  measure  of  it  1     For  thou  knowest ! 
Who  stretched  the  line  upon  it  ?  ' 

6  Upon  what  are  its  foundations  settled? 


NEW    TRANSLATION  68 

Or  who  laid  its  corner-stone  ? 

7  When  the  morning  stars  sang  together, 
And  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy  ? 

8  Who  slmt  up  the  sea  with  doors 

In  its  bursting  forth  as  from  the  womb? 

9  When  I  made  the  cloud  its  garment, 
And  swathed  it  in  thick  darkness  ? 

10  I  measured  out  for  it  my  limits, 
And  fixed  its  bars  and  doors ; 

11  And  said.  Thus  far  shalt  thou  come,  but  no  further, 
And  here  shall  thy  proud  waves  be  stayed  ! 

12  Hast  thou,  in  thy  life,  given  commandment  to  the  morning, 
Or  caused  the  dawn  to  know  its  place, 

13  That  it  may  seize  on  the  far  corners  of  the  earth. 
And  scatter  the  robbers  before  it  ? 

14  It  turns  itself  along  like  clay  under  a  seal. 

And  all  things  stand  forth  as  if  in  gorgeous  appdrei 

15  But  from  the  wicked  their  light  is  withheld. 
And  the  high  arm  is  broken. 

16  Hast  thou  penetrated  to  the  springs  of  the  sea, 

And  hast  thou  walked  about  in  the  recesses  of  the  deep? 

17  Have  the  gates  of  death  been  opened  to  thee, 

Or  hast  thou  seen  the  gates  of  the  shadow  of  death  ? 

18  Hast  thou  observed  the  breadths  of  the  earth? 
Declare,  if  thou  knowest  it  all. 

19  Where  is  the  way  to  the  dwelling-place  of  light? 
And  the  darkness — where  is  its  place — 

20  That  thou  couldst  conduct  it  to  its  limits, 

And  that  thou  shouldst  know  the  path  to  its  dwelling? 

21  Didst  thou  know  this  because  thou  wast  then  born. 
Or  because  the  number  of  thy  days  is  great? 

22  Hast  thou  been  into  the  store-houses  of  snow. 
Or  seen  the  store-houses  of  hail, 

23  Which  I  have  reserved  until  the  time  of  trouble, 
To  the  day  of  battle  and  war  ? 

24  By  what  way  is  the  light  distributed. 


64 


NEW    TRANSLATION. 


And  how  is  the  East  wind  spread  abroad  upon  the  earth  ? 

25  Who  hath  divided  for  the  shower  a  channel, 
And  who  hath  made  a  path  for  the  thunder-flash, 

26  To  give  rain  to  a  land  where  there  is  no  man, 
Upon  the  desert  where  no  one  dwells ; 

27  To  saturate  the  desert  and  the  barren  place, 

And  to  cause  the  bud  of  the  tender  herb  to  germinate  ? 

28  Hath  the  rain  a  father  ? 

And  who  hath  begotten  the  drops  of  the  dew  1 

29  From  whose  womb  came  the  ice  1 

The  hoar-frost  of  heaven — who  gave  it  birth? 

30  The  waters  are  hid  as  under  a  stone  ; 

And  the  surface  of  the  deep  becomes  a  solid  mass. 

31  Canst  thou  bind  the  sweet  influences  of  Pleiades, 
Or  loose  the  bands  of  Orion  ? 

32  Canst  thou  bring  forth  Mazzaroth  in  his  season, 
Or  lead  forth  the  Bear  with  her  young? 

33  Knovvest  thou  the  laws  of  the  heavens, 

Or  hast  thou  appointed  their  dominion  over  the  earth 

34  Canst  thou  lift  up  thy  voice  to  the  clouds, 

So  that  the  overflowings  of  the  waters  shall  cover  thee? 

35  Canst  thou  send  forth  the  lightnings,  so  that  they  shall  go, 
And  shall  say  to  thee,  '  Here  we  are?' 

36  Who  hath  imparted  understanding  to  thy  inward  parts? 
Or  given  intelligence  to  thy  mind  ? 

37  Who  can  number  the  clouds  by  wisdom  ? 
And  who  can  empty  the  bottles  of  heaven, 

38  When  the  dust  flows  into  a  molten  mass, 
And  the  clods  cleave  fast  together? 

39  Canst  thou  hunt  for  the  lion  his  prey? 

And  the  hunger  of  the  young  lions  canst  thou  satisfy, 

40  When  they  crouch  in  their  dens, 
And  lie  in  wait  in  the  thicket  ? 

41  Who  provideth  for  the  raven  his  food, 
When  his  young  cry  unto  God, 
And  wander  for  lack  of  food  ? 


NEW    TRANSLATION.  65 


CiiAP.  XXXIX. 


1  Knowest  thou  the  time  when  the  wild  goats  of  the  rock  bring 
forth  ? 

Or  canst  thou  observe  the  birth-throes  of  the  hind  ? 
'2  Canst  thou  number  the  months  that  they  fulfil  ? 

Knowest  thou  the  season  when  tliey  bring  forth? 

3  They  bow  themselves  ;  they  give  birth  to  their  young; 
They  cast  forth  their  sorrows. 

4  Their  young  ones  increase  in  strength  ;  ^ 
They  grow  up  in  the  wilderness  ; 

They  go  from  them  and  return  no  more. 

5  Who  hath  sent  forth  the  wild  ass  free  ? 

Or  who  hath  loosed  the  bands  of  the  wild  ass  ? 

6  Whose  home  I  have  made  the  wilderness, 
And  his  dwellings  the  barren  land. 

7  He  scorneth  the  uproar  of  the  city  ; 
The  cry  of  the  driver  he  heedeth  not. 

8  The  range  of  the  mountains  is  his  pasture ; 
He  searcheth  after  every  green  thing. 

9  Will  the  unicorn  be  willing  to  serve  thee  ? 
Will  he  abide  through  the  night  at  thy  crib  ? 

10  Wilt  thou  bind  him  with  his  band  in  the  furrow? 
And  will  he  harrow  the  valleys  after  thee  ? 

11  Wilt  thou  trust  him  because  his  strength  is  great 
Or  wilt  thou  commit  thy  labor  to  him  ? 

12  Wilt  thou  have  confidence  in  him  to  bring  in  thy  grain. 
And  to  gather  it  to  thy  threshing-floor  ? 

13  A  wing  of  exulting  fowls  moves  joyfully  ! 

Is  it  the  wing  and  the  plumage  of  the  stork? 

14  She  leaveth  her  eggs  upon  the  ground, 
And  upon  the  dust  she  warmeth  them, 

15  And  forgetteth  that  the  foot  may  crush  them, 
And  that  the  wild  beast  may  break  them. 

16  She  is  hardened  towards  her  young,  as  if  they  were  not  hers; 
In  vain  is  her  travail,  and  without  solicitude; 


66  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

17  Because  God  hath  withheld  wisdom  from  her, 
And  hath  not  imparted  to  her  understanding. 

18  In  the  time  when  she  raiseth  herself  up  on  high 
She  laugheth  at  the  horse  and  his  rider. 

19  Hast  thou  given  the  horse  his  strength? 
Hast  thou  clothed  his  neck  with  thunder  ? 

20  Dost  thou  make  him  leap  as  the  locust? 
How  terrible  is  the  glory  of  his  nostrils  ! 

21  He  paweth  in  the  valley  ;  he  exulteth  in  his  strength ; 
He  goeth  forth  into  the  midst  of  arms. 

22  He  laugheth  at  fear,  and  is  nothing  daunted; 
And  he  turneth  not  back  from  the  sword. 

23  Upon  him  rattleth  the  quiver, 
The  glittering  spear  and  the  lance 

24  In  his  fierceness  and  rage  he  devoureth  the  ground, 
And  will  no  longer  stand  still  when  the  trumpet  sounds. 

25  When  the  trumpet  sounds  he  saith  '  Aha  1' 
'     And  from  afar  he  snuffeth  the  battle — 

The  war-cry  of  the  princes,  and  the  battle-shout. 

26  Is  it  by  thy  understanding  that  the  hawk  flieth, 
And  spreadeth  his  wings  toward  the  South  ? 

27  Is  it  at  thy  command  that  the  eagle  mounteth  up, 
And  that  he  buildeth  his  nest  on  high  ? 

28  He  inhabiteth  the  rock,  and  abideth  there — 
Upon  the  crag  of  the  rock,  and  the  high  fortress 

29  From  thence  he  spieth  out  his  prey  ; 
His  eyes  discern  it  from  afar 

30  His  young  ones  greedily  gulp  down  blood; 
And  where  the  slain  are,  there  is  he. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

Jehovah's  second  address  to  job.     Ch.  xl.,  xli 

1  Moreover  Jehovah  answered  Job,  and  said  : 

2  Will  he  that  would  enter  into  an  argument  with  the  Alniiglity 

now  instruct  him  ? 
Will  he  that  wished  to  carry  his  cause  before  God  now  reply  ? 

3  Then  Job  answered  Jf.hovah  and  said  : 

4  Behold,  I  am  vile  !     What  can  I  answer  thee  ? 
I  will  lay  my  hand  upon  my  mouth. 

5  Once  did  I  speak ;  but  I  will  not  answer  again  : 
Yea,  twice  ;   but  I  will  add  no  more. 

6  Then  Jehovah  answered  Job  out  of  the  whirlwind  and  said  : 

7  Gird  up  now  thy  loins  like  a  man  ! 

I  will  ask  of  thee,  and  do  thou  instruct  me  ! 

8  Wilt  thou  reverse  my  judgment? 

Wilt  thou  show  that  I  am  wrong  because  thou  art  righteous  ? 

9  Hast  thou  an  arm  like  God? 

Or  canst  thou  thunder  with  a  voice  like  him  ? 

10  Adorn  thyself  now  with  grandeur  and  majesty, 
And  array  thyself  with  splendor  and  glory. 

11  Let  loose  the  fury  of  thy  wrath  ! 

Look  upon  every  one  that  is  proud  and  abase  him! 

12  Look  upon  every  one  that  is  proud  and  bring  him  low  ! 
Yea,  tread  down  the  wicked  in  their  place ! 

13  Hide  them  in  the  dust  together  ! 
Bind  them  in  the  dungeon  ! 

14  Then  will  I  also  give  thee  praise, 

For  thine  own  right  hand  can  save  thee. 

15  Behold  now  Behemoth  which  I  have  made,  a.s  well  as  thyself; 
He  feedeth  on  grass  like  the  ox. 

16  Behold  now  his  strength  is  in  his  loins  ; 
And  his  vigor  in  the  muscles  of  his  belly. 


68  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

17  He  bendeth  his  tail  like  the  cedar ; 

The  sinews  of  his  haunches  are  twisted  together, 

18  His  bones  are  like  strong  pieces  of  brass  : 
His  bones  are  like  bars  of  iron. 

19  He  is  chief  among  the  works  of  God  ; 

He  that  made  him  has  furnished  him  [as]  with  a  sword 

20  For  the  mountains  bring  him  forth  food, 
Where  all  the  beasts  of  the  field  play. 

21  He  lieth  under  the  lotus-trees, 

In  the  covert  of  the  reeds  and  fens. 

22  The  lotus-trees  cover  him  with  their  shade; 
The  willows  of  the  brook  compass  him  about. 

23  Lo  !  should  a  river  rush  upon  him,  he  is  not  alarmed , 
He  is  unmoved  should  the  Jordan  rush  upon  his  movuh. 

24  Who  can  take  him  when  he  is  on  his  guard? 

Or  when  taken  in  snares,  who  can  pierce  his  nose  ? 

Chap.  XLI. 

1  Canst  thou  draw  forth  Leviathan  with  an  hook 
Dr  press  down  his  tongue  with  a  cord  ? 

2  Canst  thou  put  a  rope  into  his  nose  ? 
Or  pierce  his  jaw  with  a  ring  ? 

3  Will  he  make  many  supplications  unto  thee  ? 
Will  he  speak  soft  words  unto  thee  ? 

4  Will  he  make  a  covenant  with  thee  ? 
Canst  thou  take  him  for  a  servant  forever  ? 

5  Canst  thou  play  with  him  as  with  a  bird  ? 
Or  canst  thou  bind  him  for  thy  maidens? 

6  Do  men  in  company  make  a  banquet  of  him? 
Do  they  divide  him  among  the  merchants  ? 

7  Canst  thou  fill  his  skin  with  barbed  irons  ? 
Or  his  head  with  fish-spears? 

8  Lay  thine  hand  upon  him  ;  remember  the  fierce  conflict 
Thou  wilt  not  do  it  again. 

9  Behold  the  hope  of  [taking]  him  is  vain ; 


NEW   TRANSLATION.  69 

Is  it,  not  dissipated  at  his  very  appearance? 

10  None  is  so  courageous  that  he  dare  arouse  him  ; — 
And  who  then  is  he  that  can  stand  before  me? 

11  Who  can  come  upon  me  by  surprise  that  I  should  recompense 

him? 
All  under  the  whole  heavens  is  mine. 

12  I  will  not  be  silent  concerning  his  parts, 

And  his  power,  and  the  fitness  of  his  armature. 

13  Who  can  strip  off  the  surface  of  his  garment? 
Who  can  come  near  to  the  doubling  of  his  jaws? 

14  Who  can  open  the  doors  of  his  face  ? 
The  rows  of  his  teeth  are  terrible. 

15  His  strong  shields  are  his  pride — 
Shut  up  together  as  with  a  close  seal. 

16  They  are  joined  one  to  another. 

So  that  no  air  can  come  between  them. 

17  They  cleave  fast  to  each  other; 

They  take  hold  on  one  another  so  that  they  cannot  be  separated 

18  In  his  sneezing  light  is  caused  to  shine, 

And  his  eyes  are  like  the  eyelids  of  the  morning. 

19  Out  of  his  mouth  go  forth  torches ; 
Sparks  of  fire  leap  forth. 

20  Out  of  his  nostrils  goeth  smoke. 
As  from  a  boiling  pot  or  caldron. 

21  His  breath  kindleth  coals. 

And  a  flame  issueth  out  of  his  mouth. 

22  In  his  neck  dwelleth  strength  ; 
Before  him  danceth  Terror. 

23  The  dewlaps  of  his  flesh  cleave  fast  together  ; 
They  are  firm  upon  him  ;  they  cannot  be  moved. 

24  His  heart  is  solid  like  a  stone ;  .  _ 
Yea,  solid  like  the  nether  millstone. 

25  When  he  riseth  up  the  mighty  are  afraid ; 
Yea,  they  lose  themselves  from  terror. 

26  The  sword  of  him  that  attacks  him  will  not  adhere; 
Nor  will  the  spear,  the  dart,  or  the  javelin. 


70  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

27  He  regardeth  iron  as  straw, 
And  brass  as  rotten  wood. 

28  The  arrow  will  not  put  liim  to  flight ; 

Sling-stones  turn  themselves  into  stubble  in  respect  to  him. 

29  (Jlubs  are  regarded  by  him  as  stubble  ; 
He  laugheth  at  tiie  shaking  of  a  spear. 

30  Under  him  are  sharp  potsherds ; 

He  spreadeth  out  his  rough  parts  upon  the  mire. 

31  He  maketh  the  deep  to  boil  like  a  pot; 
He  maketh  the  sea  like  a  pot  of  ointment. 

32  After  him  he  leaves  a  shining  path — 

So  that  one  would  think  the  deep  to  be  hoary. 

33  Upon  the  earth  there  is  not  his  like ; 
He  is  made  to  be  destitute  of  fear. 

34  On  every  high  thing  he  looketh  down , 
King  over  all  the  sons  of  pride. 


CHAPTER  XLH. 

THE    RESPONSE    AND    PENITENT    CONFESSION    OF    JOB.       Vs.    1-6. 

1  Then  Job  answered  Jehovah,  and  said  : 

2  I  know  that  thou  canst  do  every  thing, 

And  that  no  purpose  of  thine  can  be  prevented. 

3  '  Who  is  he  [indeed]  that  darkeneth  counsel  by  words  without 

knowledge?' 
I  have  indeed  uttered  what  I  understood  not ; 
Things  too  wonderful  for  me,  which  I  knew  not. 

4  Hear  then,  I  beseech  thee,  and  I  will  speak ; 
I  will  ask  thee,  and  do  thou  instruct  me. 

5  I  have  heard  of  thee  by  the  hearing  of  the  ear, 
But  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee ; 

6  Wherefore  I  abhor  myself, 
And  repent  in  dust  and  ashes. 


PART  III. 


THE    CONCTtlSION    IN    PKOSE.       Vs.    7-16 


7  And  it  came  to  pass  after  Jehovah  had  spoken  these  words  to 
Job,  that  Jehovah  said  to  Eliphaz  the  Temanite,  '  My  wrath 
is  kindled  against  thee  and  thy  two  friends,  for  ye  have  not 
spoken  concerning  me  that  which  is  right,  as  my  servant  Job 

8  hath.  Therefore  take  for  yourselves  seven  bullocks  and  seven 
rams,  and  go  to  my  servant  Job  and  offer  for  yourselves  a  burnt- 
offering  ;  and  Job  my  servant  shall  pray  for  you — for  to  him 
will  I  have  regard — lest  I  should  recompense  to  you  your  folly. 
For  ye  have  not  spoken  concerning  me  that  which  is  right,  as 

9  my  servant  Job  hath.'  So  Eliphaz  the  Temanite,  and  Bildad 
the  Shuhite,  and  Zophar  the  Naamathite,  went  and  did  as 
Jehovah    commanded    them;    and  Jehovah    had    respect    to 

10  Job.  And  Jehovah  turned  the  captivity  of  Job  when  he  prayed 
for  his  friends,  and  Jehovah  gave  him  double  of  what  he  had 

11  before.  Then  came  to  him  all  his  brethren,  and  all  his  sisters, 
and  all  his  former  acquaintances,  and  ate  bread  with  him  in  his 
house ;  and  they  condoled  with  him  and  comforted  him  over  all 
the  evil  that  Jehovah  had  brought  upon  him ;   and  every  one 

12  gave  him  a  piece  of  money,  and  every  one  a  ring  of  gold.  So 
Jehotah  blessed  the  latter  days  of  Job  more  than  his  beginning  ; 
for  he  had  fourteen  thousand  sheep,   six  thousand  camels,    a 

13  thousand  yoke  of  oxen,  and  a  thousand  she-asses.     He  had  also 

14  seven  sons  and  three  daughters.  And  he  called  the  name  of  the 
first   Jemima,   of  the  second  Kezia,  and  of  the  third  Keren* 

15  happuch.      And  in  all  the  land  were  no  women  found  so  beautiful 


72  NEW    TRANSLATION. 

as  the  daughters  of  Job  ;  and  their  father  gave  them  an  inherit- 

16  ance  among  their  brethren.     And  Job  lived  after  this  an  hun- 
dred and  forty  years,  and  saw  his  sons,  and  his  sons'  sons,  even 

17  four  generations.     And  Job  died,  being  old  and  full  of  days 


THE    END 


Date  Due 

Ja  2T'3( 

i 

V                                             ;                      (_■> 

*siimmMatgg0g/jg^ 

^^''  ^BiwilBi 

i 

f) 

RS1415.B261  V.2 

Notes  critical,  illustrative,  and 

Princeton  Theolog.cal  Sem,nar_y-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00041   7289 


